Memory of the SOUL
by Bored Weaver
Summary: Six children fell. Six children died. The tales of how they lived in the Underground were lost over the years: how they interacted with Monsters, their adventures, the friends they made. Through the eyes of these children, see their stories finally come to light. (Prequel to Memories and Control)
1. Blue

**Hey! I just wanted to say that I appreacite anyone taking the time to read this story and I'm happy to hear anything you have to say!**

* * *

I hope that shop does well. A Temmie could be seen organizing the items that I just helped her move into her new store. They must be planning to celebrate the opening using all of that confetti.

I stifled a yawn. It had been a long day and I wanted to head home. I heard a splash. Scanning the area, nobody came into view. I must be imagining things.

Looking down, I noticed that my tutu was in desperate need of a wash. It's weird to keep wearing this, but it makes me feel comfortable.

When was the last time I took this off? Memories of smiles and apologizes raced by, laced with feelings of fear and grief and terror. I pushed them down and kept walking.

I heard a rustle in the grass. I searched the terrain again. I spotted a flash of red. Oh, it's her. I smiled and kept walking.

I was almost home when she pounced from the grass. I stepped to the side and she fell head over heels. Her name is Undyne. She is a hot-headed child that likes to start fights with anyone nearby. Although, her small stature and red ponytail weren't very threatening.

She hastily got to her feet, her face blushing.

I chuckled. "Nice try, but not today." This had become our routine. Her trying to sneak up on me, and me avoiding her surprise attacks.

She stomped her foot. "I almost had you! You were just lucky. I'll get you tomorrow!"

"I can't wait."

I walked on with her at my side.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Undyne asked.

"What is it?"

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" I asked puzzled.

"Help other monsters and be nice to them," Undyne said. "I've always heard that humans are mean, but you aren't. Why do you help us?"

I smiled. "Because it shows I'm strong," I replied.

"What?" She piped confused. "That doesn't make any sense! Being nice doesn't let you suplex a boulder or give you an edge in a fight!"

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"It shows I have a strong will and SOUL."

"…What?" Undyne was completely lost.

"Feats of strength like jumping high, winning fights, or suplexing boulders don't mean anything," I said. "What really matters is your will, your SOUL. If you can stand by what you believe in, your strong. If you can keep your ethnic code from being shaken, your incredible. If you can do the right thing and stand by others when everyone else is against you, you're invincible. That's where real strength comes from, your integrity."

Undyne tilted her head to one side. "I don't understand."

"You will. One day."

"Who told you all that gibberish?"

My heart twisted in my chest. "My mom. She wanted me to always remember that."

"Mom… Oh!" She skidded to a halt. "I'm late for dinner! I have to go! See you tomorrow!"

"See ya later." I waved as she took off.

I walked on until I reached the waterfall. After leaving the Ruins, I spent several days looking for shelter. I found the hidden cave when I slipped in the water and my head went behind the falls. The only thing in here were a couple bundles of glowing mushrooms. I took of my tutu and placed it gently on the ground. I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground.

I stretched out my hand, flicked my wrist, and my SOUL appeared with a flash. It was blue, a dark blue like the sea before a storm or an everyday crayon. I had been able to summon my SOUL since I could walk. Magic, actual magic, is rarely practiced on the Surface anymore. My mother came from a family that believed in remembering its roots, so she always kept those now rare magical moments in the house as much as possible. I know about DETERMINATION and Integrity and almost everything involving the SOUL. Weird, I know, but it was what brought my mother and I close together. I miss her so much.

Yawning, I laid on the ground and closed my eyes for a bit of sleep.

* * *

 _I was sitting outside the principal's office. My mother was talking to my teacher about my behavior at recess. My mom came out, her face a mix of anger and disappointment. I got up and followed her out to the car. She said nothing as we drove out of town. Finally, we stopped at this little flower garden that we would come out and see once a week._

 _We got out of the car and sat on a bench by a patch of marigolds. My mother wouldn't speak a word to me, so we watched the marigolds sway gently in the breeze. The sun began to set as we waited for the other one to break the silence. It was me._

 _"I'm sorry," I said flatly._

 _My mother inhaled deeply and then exhaled. Her anger from before was gone, making her face unreadable. When she spoke, her voice was steady and calm. "Why would you do something like that?"_

 _She was talking about what I did to the kid on the playground. "It was his fault."_

 _My mother shook her head. "Be honest."_

 _"It was!" I was starting to get mad._

 _"You grabbed his SOUL!"_

 _"He started it!" I dug my nails into the wood._

 _"I told you to never do anything like that!" She said with the know-it-all parent tone. "You are far too inexperienced!"_

 _"He's fine!"_

 _"You broke his nose!"_

 _My retort died on my lips. "What?" I asked softly._

 _"When you threw him," My mom calmed down, too. "His nose broke when he you threw him against the monkey bars."_

 _"I-I I didn't… it wasn't…" I stuttered desperately. Guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders._

 _"He'll be fine, but his parents are furious. I don't blame them."_

 _I felt tears welling up. "Mom, I'm so sorry." I buried my face in my hands._

 _My mother wrapped her arms around me. "Just tell me what happened."_

 _I waited a minute, trying to find my voice. "I was showing some of the kids what I could do when this boy walked up." I tried to keep my voice steady. "He called me a freak. He called you a freak." I was trying to hold back tears. "He said that our family should be under the barrier with all the other Monsters. Then he pushed me." Tears were streaming down my cheeks. " I-I was so mad. I j-just d-did it. It just h-happened. I d-didn't m-mean it. I'm so sorry."_

 _I started to bawl. My mom held me close and let me cry. After awhile, I sat, hiccupping, in her embrace. She stroked my hair as I caught my breath._

 _"It's okay, my little dancer." She always called me that because I love to dance, even those clumsy, ridiculous dances as a toddler. "I'm sorry that happened. Some people are scared by unusual things, without even trying to understand it."_

 _"Is that why the boy did that?"_

 _"It's probably one of the reasons."_

 _"One?" I asked puzzled._

 _"You know how you acted out of anger and hurt him?" I nodded. "People also do things when they have problems they can't fix or part of their life is challenged."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Did you know that boy's parents are getting divorced?"_

 _I shook my head. "I had no idea."_

 _"You have to be able tell when people are being mean, or acting mean when they are confused. People, kids and adults make bad decisions when confronted with a problem like that. They make decisions that they wouldn't usually make."_

 _"How can I tell?"_

 _She held out her hand. Her SOUL, the same color as mine, hummed softly. "With us, we can tell when someone's SOUL is acting strange or different. However, sometimes you can just see it on someone's face."_

 _I sat there absorbing what she said. The sun was almost down, casting an orange glow over the sky. The marigold seemed to shine in the light, and the breeze made them dance. I would never forget this. Being here with my mother, learning from her, sitting and watching the sunset, it was beautiful._

* * *

 _"We'll be back soon, my little dancer," my mother promised._

 _"Just don't be gone long, okay?"_

 _My parents were meeting some friends at a restaurant the next city over. I was staying home by myself, but our neighbor said I could call if I needed anything. When they got back, we were heading to my ballet class._

 _"Of course not. We'll be back in a couple hours. See you soon."_

 _"See ya later." My parents walked out the door. I heard the car back out and drive away._

 _About a half hour later, I slipped on my tutu and ballet shoes and just started spinning and goofing around. I heard the phone ringing. It was my mom's number. I picked up immediately. "I'm okay, mom, no need to check up."_

 _It wasn't my mom. "Hello? Who may I be speaking too?_

 _I was confused. "Who is this? Why do you have my mom's phone?"_

 _The speaker fell silent. When he spoke again his voice was gently. "Is anyone else home with you?"_

 _"No, now who are you?" A sick feeling was crawling in my gut._

 _The mystery man said, "I'm an emergency responder. Your parents… their was an incident as they were driving… I'm sorry."_

 _I couldn't breathe. I grabbed onto the table to keep myself upright. "Are they… are they…"_

 _The man's voice was thick with emotion. "Your father… died on impact."_

 _I felt like I was going to be sick. "What about my mother."_

 _A moment passed. "She's in critical condition. She's strong, but I don't think she'll make it."_

 _I stumbled to the bathroom and emptied my stomach. I hurled until I was completely empty. I flushed the toilet. After a time, I lifted the phone to my ear again. "Is there any chance she'll make it?"_

 _I could hear him breathing deeply on the other end. "A slim one, but only a miracle can save her."_

 _I didn't respond._

 _"Is there anyone to stay with you?"_

 _"Yeah, my neighbor."_

 _"Good. Head to them immediately and tell them what happened. We will have a car at your place in a bit"_

 _"Thanks." I hung up. Only a miracle can save them. An idea came to mind, a crazy one, but the only one I could think of._

 _One night, my mother told me a story of how Monsters didn't need technology to heal people. They had green magic. This type of magic could mend wounds and purge the body of diseases. A strong enough Monster could use green magic to heal even the most serious of injuries._

 _I ran from the house to the place I was told never to climb, the place that was long since forbidden._

 _I ran to Mount Ebott._

* * *

The next day, I awoke with a start. I was crying, the tears flowing like rivers down my face. I ground my teeth. I can't give up now. I have to find something to heal her. I won't give up.

I started to get up when it happened. Something felt off. Dangerous. Slowly, I got up and peered through the torrent of water. A hulking figure was waiting outside. I passed through the waterfall and saw him. A Monster wearing purple robes, golden armor, and carried a red trident with a longer middle prong. It dawned on me that he looked like a male version of Toriel.

"Hello?" I said. "Can I help you?"

"Human," His deep voice resonated throughout the cavern. "My name is Asgore, King of the Monsters. War has been declared against your kind and I cannot allow your existence here to continue."

"What do you…" I stopped when I saw his eyes. They were like the bully's: mean and vicious. Undyne had told me the story of the king's son. How he was killed by humans when he passed through the barrier. And how that they needed human SOULS to break the Barrier. A cold weight settled in my stomach.

"Your Highness…"

He charged, trident glowing light blue. I stood still as the trident passed through me harmlessly. He swung again, trident glowing orange this time. I jumped out of the way before I was cut down.

With a wave of his hand, Asgore summoned a volley of fireballs. They flew through the air with tails of smoke. Memories of my lessons passed through my head. Staying on my toes, I ducked, spun and jumped out of the path of the fire.

Rushing forward, I delivered a kick to his midsection and he doubled over. He grabbed my leg. The king thrust out his other hand to throw a fireball at my face. I twisted and my free foot connected with his forearm and my leg came free, but he tore off my shoe and it was washed down another waterfall. Now free, I put as much distance between us as possible.

Asgore held out his hand again. Great chains of fire flickered into existence. They coiled and slithered as they advanced. I maneuvered through the onslaught, but one of them snared my left side.

I gasped in pain, stars dancing in my vision, but I held myself together. Asgore was barring down on me. Orange, blue, orange, orange, blue. Swing after swing rained down on me. Cuts and gashes appeared on my body when I was too slow.

Tears of pain blurred my vision as he swung again. I dodged to the left. With all my remaining strength, I spun with my leg outstretched. My shoe covered foot connected with his jaw. He stumbled. I took the opportunity. I kicked out again and again as fast and as hard as I could. His body shook with each strike. I lashed out again, but he blocked it with his trident. Asgore pushed against me. I skidded back, but stayed on my feet.

Asgore lifted his hand above his head. A gigantic fireball formed in his palm. It was easily twice my size. He closed his hand into a fist. The ball exploded into almost a hundred of fiery projectiles.

I spun and dodged, but it was too much. One, two, three, dozens landed. My entire body burned as if it was being reduced to ashes. I spun last second to avoid another fireball.

I held out my hand, SOUL glowing bright. I saw his SOUL, gray and upside down. I just have to grab his SOUL and throw him off the waterfall. Before I could, however, I saw his face. He was crying. In his eyes I saw something else: grief.

 _ **"You have to tell when people are being mean, or acting mean when they are confused. People, kids and adults make bad decisions when confronted with a problem like that. They make decisions that they wouldn't usually make."**_

 _ **"How can I tell?"**_

 _ **"Sometimes you can just see it on** **someone's face."**_

Asgore held his trident high above his head, glowing orange. With a mighty grunt, he threw the weapon. I saw it in slow motion, flying threw the air and burying itself in my gut.

I fell backwards into the water. My other shoe had fell off and was swept away. Everything was numb. My arms and legs felt like soaked woolen bundles. The water was quickly stained red before being swept away.

Hands pulled me out of the water. The king held me in his arms as my vision started to ebb.

"I am sorry, child. I am so sorry." His eyes had cleared, leaving only his sadness.

I smiled weakly. "It's okay," I whispered. "I forgive you." I meant it too. I couldn't help my mother, and that is a regret I'll carry with me beyond my grave. However, if this can help all the Monsters down here, then I'll accept my fate. Who knows? Maybe one of them will be able to help my mother.

Everything turned hazy. I saw my SOUL hovering over us, waiting.

"Can you do something for me?"

"Of course." His voice sounded far away.

"Watch over Undyne."

"I will. I promise.

I breathed a sigh. Everything fell away, except for my SOUL. It gave one final, warming glow before fading away.

* * *

Two days later..

* * *

Undyne was creeping through the grass again. Her target was standing by a stream. With a yell, she charged from her cover.

"King Asgore, I challenge you!" She declared at the top of her lungs.

The King stepped to the side and the hot-headed child fell thrashing into the water. She sat in the shallows, the blood rushing to her cheeks.

"I-I a-am so so-" She stuttered.

"I'm sorry for getting you wet," The king said gently.

"O-okay. I'll be leaving now." She made off to leave, until…

"Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?"

* * *

I opened my eyes to darkness. Everything hurt, even my bones. It felt like I was drifting along a current. It was soothing. I closed my eyes again.

Something reached out and grabbed my arm. I pulled away, but the thing had an iron grip. It grabbed my other arm. I kicked out, but I was thrashing in absolute nothingness. The current became stronger, pulling me under. The thing grabbed my leg and shoulder. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I willed my SOUL to appear, but nothing happened. The thing pulled harder. I began to cry, pointlessly trying to call out for my mother. The thing gave one final pull and I was swallowed by the abyss.

* * *

 **That's all for chapter one. If anyone has questions, comments, or suggestions, I would like to hear them!**

 **Please enjoy the remainder of the story.**

 **P.S. This chapter was proof-read by Eccentric Axolotl. Please check out their profile**


	2. Orange

"You have to leave," She said. "You have to run away before he finds you."

I rose from sitting in the snow and faced her. Bunny stared down at me with her arms crossed.

"I won't," I said. "I'm not running."

"Don't be a fool! If you stay here you will die!"

"I am not running!"

"This is not like with the Royal Guard! You cannot persuade Asgore to spare you!"

"I won't be a coward!"

"This is not an act of bravery. This is stupidity! Why won't you listen?"

* * *

Four weeks ago…

* * *

Looking down, I saw a little dog head poking out of a snowdrift. His little tongue sticking out and looking at me with excitement in his eyes.

Don't do it. Don't do it. No,no,no! Don't. DO! NOT! DO! IT! Resist it. Don't do it! No!

He barked.

"Awwwwwwwwww!" I fell to the ground to pet and scratch him behind the ears. He licked my face.

"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You are! You are! Who's a… good… boy…"

The dog had stood up revealing a large armored body and a spear with a smiley face.

"Oh… um… good boy?"

The bipedal lifted his spear and threw.

I shielded my head with my arms, waiting for the pain. It didn't come. Blinking, I frantically patted down my body. Not a scratch was on me.

The dog was still, panting and wagging his tail excitedly. Turning around, I saw the spear imbedded in the snow a few feet behind me. I hesitantly pulled it out of the ground. The dog barked and jumped happily.

"You… want to play fetch?"

He looked at me with puppy eyes.

"Awww!" I caved again. "All right, you win!" I threw the spear as far as I could. "Fetch!"

The armored dog took off in pursuit. He came back and dropped the spear at my feet. He let off a series of happy barks.

I picked up the spear again. "Go get it!" We played like this for several minutes, until…

"Wait a minute…" I looked from the large dog to the smaller one with a longer neck. Large dog, small dog, large dog, small dog, large, small, large, small.

"When did you…"

They both barked with joy and looked at me with puppy eyes.

*You are overwhelmed by the power of dogs*

"You're a good boy too, aren't you?" I petted his head. His neck grew.

"Did your neck-"

The larger dog snatched me up and started running, the smaller dog on his tail. Pun intended.

"Where are you taking me?" Buildings and a Christmas tree raced by my vision. The larger dog abruptly stopped. He looked at me with a playful gleam in his eyes. He then hurled me over his head.

With some screaming (please don't judge me) the smaller dog caught me. Well, he tried. We went rolling in the snow. The larger one dog-piled on top of us and all of us started playing and wrestling in the snow. I was laughing and having the time of my life.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

The dogs pulled away and sat down on their haunches. Looking up, I saw a humanoid bunny looking down at me with a smile on her face.

"We don't get many new folks around here. Who are you?" I told her my name. "That's a peculiar name you have. You can just call me Bunny."

I lived with Bunny and her family ever since. I helped run her shop and babysat her two kids. It was comfortable and I enjoyed it. Until earlier today. News had travelled that Asgore was coming to find the human in Snowdin. In other words, me.

* * *

Present…

* * *

Bunny's children were distracted with finishing the snowman we had started. I held my gaze against Bunny's scowl.

"I have to try."

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"Why?" She shrieked. "Why do you insist on getting yourself killed?"

"Because then I can have the chance to stay with you!"

She froze.

"If I can just convince him that I am not like the humans that killed his son, maybe he'll spare me. If that happens, I get to stay with you. And the time I spent as part of your family has been better than any moment I spent on the Surface!"

Her gaze fell. She started crying. I thought I had upset her, but when she looked up she was smiling.

"You really are determined, aren't you?." She fell to her knees and hugged me. "Promise to come back to me, okay?"

I paused. I could see that desperate look; how she wanted me to say that I'll come back. My chest twisted into a knot. I want to say that I will, but I don't think that I can. My life down here is happy, and I will do anything to keep it that way. Nothing like these last few weeks has ever happened to me.

I'm trying to be brave, but I'm scared. Scared that I'll lose Bunny and her family. Scared of what will happen to her if I die. Scared of facing Asgore and what might happen. Even with all these fears on my mind, I will be brave. I have to be brave. For her, for me, for our family, I will swallow my doubts and fight for what I have always wanted.

* * *

 ** _I was pushing a little toy car back and forth on the sidewalk, the tiny tires leaving black streaks. I heard the headmistress call us in for dinner. Dozens of kids ran across the yard and pushed themselves through the doorway. I walked slowly, leaving the car by the entrance and joined the rest of the kids and staff at the large tables. A turkey sandwich, scoop of beans, and an apple sat on a plain white plate._**

 ** _The younger kids ate quickly, practically inhaling their food. The older kids, however, took their time. They knew that we would not be able to leave the tables until the staff was done. Anyone who left before then wouldn't have breakfast tomorrow. After the head mistress excused us, the children ran back out into the yard. I brought up the back of the crowd. I scanned the doorway for my car, but it was gone._**

 ** _I sighed and went to sit on the sidewalk. It was always like this. Anytime anyone had a toy it would gone by the end of the day. I had lost countless teddy bears, airplanes, cars, and stuffed animals. I sat by the side of the road as all the other kids roamed the yard. They may seem like they're having fun together, but, if you looked close enough, you could see that no one was touching each other. Everyone had this space between them, a wall between them and everyone else in the orphanage._**

 ** _My thoughts trailed off as a noisy truck passed by. The back was filled with gardening equipment. The truck hit a pothole, shaking a bundle off of the pile. I went over and picked it up. It was a dirty, orange bandanna tied around a pair of thick gloves. I slipped them on. They were too large, but I pulled them down until my hands fit inside. The excess room covered half of my forearms. I tied the bandanna around my forehead. It was comfortable, if a little smelly. I looked down at my gloved hands and smiled._**

 ** _The headmistress called us back in. I untied the bandanna and took off the gloves. I hid them inside of my pants leg. For almost a year, I kept my treasures hidden from everyone else. The first chance I got, I washed them and stayed by them as they dried in the yard. One day, I was alone in the storage room. I pulled out and put on my treasures. I looked in a cracked mirror and flexed. I smiled at myself._**

 ** _Out of nowhere, the door slammed open. A large boy walked in. He was one of the oldest kids in the orphanage, and also the meanest. I knew not to cross him from experience. He walked over to me, saw my items, and grinned viciously._**

 ** _"Looks like someone having fun with rags," He said. Heat rushed to my cheeks when he called my treasures rags. "You look a bit full of yourself."_**

 ** _A girl walked by the open door. She saw us and rushed off. A moment later, kids where crowding the door to get a look._**

 ** _The bully grabbed at my bandanna. I backed away. He frowned and reached out again. I back up against the wall. He was staring to get angry. "Hand it over, brat!" He lashed out and ripped it off my head. I snapped. I lurched forward and punched him in the face. He recoiled and fell on the floor. For a moment, I just stood rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what I just did. Then I picked up my bandanna and raced for the door. The bully grabbed my leg and I fell to the floor. He gripped the neck of my shirt and hauled me to my feet. His left eye was starting to swell and his breathing was heavy. Anger flashed in his eyes._**

 ** _"You piece of shit!" He yelled. "You'll pay for that!" He dragged me down the hall and through the door. A couple of kids broke away to follow us. He held his grip on me no matter how hard I struggled. He dragged me through town, ducking behind trash cans and buildings whenever we passed a group of people. Occasional onlookers glanced at us in concern, but the bully persuaded them that we were just taking a stroll in the forest. I had forgotten to mention that he was quite charismatic, despite his well known bad behavior. We walked for a long time. Out of town, into the forest, and up a mountain trail. Fear clenched me as I realized where we were: Mt. Ebott. I struggled harder, but the bully's kept his grip. Finally, we reached a cave. The sun was starting to set as he pushed me to the entrance._**

 ** _"If you're so tough, I guess you won't have a problem with meeting some monsters," He said cruelly._**

 ** _I swallowed. I know he has to be bluffing. No one knew where the entrance to the Monster's prison was on the mountain. However, this did not comfort me in the slightest. Years ago, rumors of a girl seen running towards the mountain caught like wildfire. She was never seen again after that night._**

 ** _"Go on, move it!" The bully's pushed me. Clenching my fists, I slowly made my way inside. The bully and the other kids watched me, well outside of the cave. I walked on even as the sunlight started to dim. I thought I was walking into utter darkness when I came across a hole. It was large, I couldn't even see the other side in the dim light. My heart started beating rapidly. Steeling myself, I leaned over the edge. I couldn't see the bottom. I decided to turn back when the rock underneath me gave way, and I fell into the void._**

* * *

Looking into Bunny's eyes, I remembered how that incident lead to my meeting her. She took me in and made me forget all the bad times I had on the surface. She made me so happy. I couldn't stand to see her heartbroken, so I said the only thing that I knew would comfort her.

"I promise."

* * *

Later that day…

* * *

Asgore faced me down on the outskirts of Snowdin. His trident and clothing were a stark contrast to the snow covered field. I tightened my bandanna and adjusted my gloves. Bunny was watching anxiously from the trees.

"Child, I'm sorry that this has to happen," His baritone voice was thick with emotion. "But I have made a promise to all monsters that I will keep."

"I've made a promise, too'" My eyes darted over to Bunny. "Sir, if we could just speak for a moment…"

Asgore waved his hand and fireballs were suddenly raining down on me. The sudden attack caught me off-guard. I was lost in the blaze. I rolled in the snow to extinguish the flames. The Monster King stabbed at me with his trident. I rolled away in the nick of time. I pushed upwards and delivered a punch to his face. He barely moved.

I pulled back as his trident glowed blue. I jumped back as he swung, but he nicked my bicep. Pain tore through my arm. It hurt so much worse than a injury like that should have been. He swung again, trident glowing orange. I was still in shock and didn't move. Asgore's weapon tore open my left shoulder. I screamed, the intense pain tearing through my body. Asgore loomed over me, trident glowing blue once again. I stumbled back and tripped in the snow. The trident fell. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to be skewered. Instead, nothing happened. I opened my eyes to a scene that made me want to throw up.

The trident was lodged deep in my stomach. The blue light softly reflected off the snow. As my brain tried to figure out what had happened, Asgore pulled out his weapon. No mark was left behind; I was completely fine. Before I could figure out what had happened, the trident changed colors. He plunged at me again. I scrambled to get away, the long prong passing harmlessly threw my flailing arm. I had managed to put some distance between us, but another round of fireballs pelted my back. The burning attack drove me to my knees.

I barely got away when more fireballs rained down on the spot I had been, causing a cloud of steam to erupt. My shirt was so burnt that it completely fell away from my body in blackened pieces. Breathing heavily, I turned to face the King. With a shout, I charged at him. Taken back by my sudden rush, Asgore stepped back. I punched him right below the ribs. Pain flared up my arm as I connected with the armor hidden beneath his robes. Asgore tried to back away to gain enough space to swing his trident. I shot forward, grabbing the handle.

I pulled with all my strength to take the weapon. Asgore pulled back. I dug my feet into the ground, but I dug grooves into the snow as I was pulled by the much stronger Monster. With a grunt, Asgore swung the weapon, and me, into the air. I sailed until I landed in a snowdrift. Asgore rushed at me, raising his trident. I threw an arm over my head and screamed, "Stop, please!"

His aim wavered, driving the trident into the snow inches away from me. We were both breathing heavily. I tried to look him in the eye, but he avoided my gaze. "Please, stop this," I pleaded. "We don't have to do this."

"I wish that was true," He said. "But that is impossible."

"Why?" I asked. "Nobody is forcing you. I don't want to do this. In all honesty, do you?"

"No," He replied. "I don't want to kill you."

"Then we can-"

"We can't," He interrupted. "It doesn't matter what I want. I made a promise to my citizens. To take the SOULS of humans that fall down here and use them to break the barrier. When that first human fell, hope returned to the Underground. The Monsters finally believed that life could finally improve, that we could see the sun after all these years."

"There's more to your story, isn't there?" I asked.

"…Your right," He said. "When I saw that that first human, all the feelings I had surfaced again. Being trapped down here, my children being killed, the Monsters giving up hope, what was left of my family falling apart. The anger, the sadness, the pain. Everything felt fresh, and I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to. I get those feelings even now, every time I see you, but now I feel something else: regret. Because of that promise, because of this pain, I have to finish what I started. I'm sorry."

I looked over at Bunny, then back at Asgore. Funny, we both made promises. One made from pain and anger, another from fear and happiness. He can't stop himself, but neither could I. I won't stop myself from fulfilling my promise. I can't be mad at him, how stupid that sounds. All I could feel was sympathy. Two promises that can't be kept unless the other is broken. Two people who will give everything to keep them. What a hell of a problem we put ourselves in.

"I'm sorry, too," I said. I launched myself up and punched him in the face again. Asgore stumbled from surprise. I reared back and punched him again. This time he shoved me away. I struggled to keep my footing. When I regained my balance, Asgore swung as he tore his trident out of the ground.

His trident's blunt, flat side connected with my chest. I was knocked through the air and crumpled in the snow. My skin felt charred, stinging as it made contact with the snow, and I could smell burnt hair. I clumsily got to my feet. My body felt like it was falling apart. Something white was poking out from my chest. It felt like acid was eating away at my lungs and crawling up my throat.

I looked over at Bunny. She was crying, her body shaking with the force of her uncontrollable sobs. Asgore was approaching. I made her a promise, I can't break it. I can't bear to think of what will happen to her. No matter what I do, no matter what happens to me, I have to keep my promise! An orange heart burned brightly to life in the air in front of me. Energy flowed into my aching body, washing away the pain. Willing my body to move, I charged.

"I won't break my promise!" I bellowed.

The heart burned brighter. I grabbed it. My hand was enveloped in an orange light. It was like something ancient crawled out of the deepest depths of my being. With a scream, I punched Asgore in the chest with all of my new power. I felt his armor give under the force and I connected to with body. With a loud gasp, Asgore was lifted off his feet and fell backwards into the snow. My strength spent, I collapsed to my knees. I looked over at Bunny. Her face was filled with relief. She smiled at me. In an instant, however, her expression changed to terror. Asgore had risen to his feet. He held his trident high above me. I looked at his face, meeting his eye for the first time. He brought down his trident.

I broke my promise. Tears streamed down my face. I'm sorry, Bunny. I'm so sorry.

The world shattered. My vision turned dark. Bunny's scream faded into the distance. Everything was drowned out by the light of the orange heart.

* * *

"NO!" Bunny ran from the trees and fell to her knees at the fallen boy's side. His bandanna had come undone and his gloves hung loosely on his hands.

The child's SOUL glowed feebly in the King's hand.

"He was a child!" She shrieked, tears flowing heavily down her face. "He was an innocent child!"

Asgore would not meet her rage filled gaze.

"How could you justify this?" She spat, "The Surface is not worth this!"

She looked down at the boy's peaceful face, his gaze glassy and unseeing. She then looked at his gloves and bandanna.

 _ **"Why do you wear those things?" She remembered asking him one day.**_

 _ **"They look cool!" He had replied.**_

 _ **"Really?" She asked suspiciously. "Is that the only reason?"**_

 _ **She remembered how he had paused. "Actually, these are the only things that have ever belonged to me."**_

She gently removed the boy's precious belongings. She got to her feet, holding the items to her chest. "You should be ashamed! Ashamed, Asgore!" She cried. "This boy did nothing to us! All he wanted was to be happy! Now look at him! A boy who wanted a family, killed in cold blood!" Bunny paused. "Before he faced you, he made me a promise. An empty one. Remind you of anybody?" She marched off, her tears mixing with the disturbed snow.

The King picked up the boy's body and returned to his castle.

* * *

 **This chapter was once again proof-read by Eccentric Axolotl. They gave me the advice I needed to improve this chapter so much for what it was originally.**


	3. Green

Three hours of nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was starting to feel like an idiot.

I had heard rumors of a room in Hotland that had rare cacti. I had wondered whether I could sell the juice or make the flowers into a tea. You see, I love to cook. Pastries, sweets, drinks, pasta, barbeque, seafood; you name it, I'll make it. I'm always trying to think of new recipes and how varying ingredients could affect the taste. However, I tend to go to extreme lengths to find the ingredients I want.

Actually, that's how I ended up in the Underground. I wanted to see the food Monsters ate and if I could find anything new. Long story short, I jumped down a hole and here I am.

I had a lot of fun baking pies with Miss Toriel, but I wanted to explore and find out more about the food down here. She was sad, but said she understood. After awhile, I went back with a snail pie I had made for her. I waited for a long time, but she never opened the door.

After that, I stuck around Snowdin for a few weeks cooking at Grillby's. It was a blast, especially when this skeleton would come with these hilarious food puns. However, everyone else nearby was not so amused.

After Snowdin, it was briefly Waterfall, and finally Hotland. This is where I met Muffet. She offered me a free sample when I stopped at her sale. I was skeptical about a spider being an ingredient, but I was hooked after the first taste. What can I say? I'm not very picky.

Muffet and I started exchanging ideas and worked together to make the spider croissant. Then, when we were talking one day, she joked about me starting my own restaurant.

I was going to do just that right here in Hotland. Muffet agreed to sell some of my products at her stand while I set up shop. The last thing I wanted to do before opening was figure out if I could add this cactus to the menu.

Now, I was never great at directions and observation, so I got pretty turned around. I had even dropped my trusty frying pan a ways back! I had decided that it was best to pick it up on the way back.

I wiped my hands on my apron. I was staring at a newly installed conveyor belt system and three columns. The Royal Scientist was adding new puzzles and security measures in case of an emergency. Technically, I'm not suppose to be here since the area was closed off for safety precautions. I decided to ignore the warning and continue my search.

The puzzle seemed easy enough. The conveyor belt was off, so I just had to hit three buttons to disable the barrier blocking off the next room. What could happen?

I pressed the first button. The column sparked, then exploded.

The world was swallowed by a bright flash of light and an ear-splitting blast. My ears rung and my body was numb. Slowly, my eyes readjusted. The first column was completely destroyed, as well as part of the conveyor belt. The rest of the puzzle was sparking and chunks of the other two columns and belt were missing.

The blast had thrown me all the way back to the crossroads I had just past. I was surprised that I wasn't hurt, then I felt the burning.

My hand felt worse than after any accident I had in the kitchen, like it had been overcooked in the oven. My throat was burnt dry, my eyes and face felt like they had been doused with acid, and a spread of gashes littered my body from where shrapnel had imbedded itself.

Trembling with effort and pain, I began to crawl. The pain numbed my senses. Had a minute passed? A second? A hour? Every move and pull seemed to last an eternity. I made it to a square cliff side when my body finally gave out. I laid on the ground withering in agony, calling for help. Finally, someone showed up. Or, more accurately, sprang up.

"Howdy! You look just plain awful!"

It was the talking flower who had shown up when I was in the Ruins. I was eye level with him, his face a mask of fake concern.

"Flowey," I croaked.

"Yep, That's my name!" He said in a chipper voice. "I don't believe I ever caught yours. Oh well! No need to learn the name of a dead man."

"I'm not dead yet."

" _ **Yet**_ is the keyword," He pointed out. "I mean, do you honestly expect to survive after that?"

I didn't.

He continued. "It was a miracle that you survived for this long. You're quiet persistent. What does it feel like? Is it like when you stick your hand in a fire and can't pull away? Or, does it feel like thousands of bees are branding you with white hot stingers? Maybe it feels like you got punched so hard that your insides shook like a maraca"

Check, check, and check.

I touched the side of my face. My hand came away slick with blood.

"You're probably feeling a little cold by now. You know, with all the internal and external bleeding."

It felt like my cooked limps were replaced by ice cubes.

He laughed maniacally. "Golly! You sure are more fun than the humans before you. They died quickly and had Asgore around. But you? I get to hear you scream as the metal tears through your flesh and chops you up like a salad!" He made a face with wide eyes and razor sharp teeth. "Now I can enjoy the show!"

I ground my teeth together and forced out a question, "Why are you so mean and terrible?"

He looked amused. "Why? What a great question! You get a gold star! Well, if you want to know, I have no SOUL."

"No SOUL?"

"I lost it years ago. Now, I can't feel a darn thing. I care about no one, and I threw away my empathy. Now I get to watch your agony without a shred of remorse! Lucky you!"

"So you feel nothing?"

"Nada."

I managed to crack a smile and chuckled.

Flowey seemed taken back. "Your smiling? Your laughing? What kind of sicko are you to laugh at a time like this?" He looked himself over. "Oh right! Never mind."

"Your such an idiot," I said.

He became angry. "I'm the idiot? That's coming from the guy who got himself blown up!"

"You proved my point."

"W-what?"

"You're angry. You're laughing. No matter the reason, someone who can be angry and laugh feels something, Flowey."

He seemed like he was going to burst out laughing. "What an idiotic idea! So I laugh and shout. Trust me, any past self of mine would never be like this. Plus, there is not a single person in this world I care about! Give me the chance and I would throw anyone off this cliff just for fun!"

"What about Chara?"

He flinched. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You care about whoever they are, don't you? They are someone you would never give up."

"What gave you that stupid id-"

"You called me that name when I fell into the Underground." He froze. "You looked so happy when you said that name. It was easy to tell you care about Chara a lot."

"Shut up!"

"Give it a chance, Flowey! Just try to feel happiness and compassion again."

He was shouting hysterically. "Shut up! Shut up!"

I reached out my hand. " Do it for them. Do it for Chara."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

He bit my hand. I didn't pull away. I couldn't feel it.

"I hope things turn out better for you, Flowey. Someone is going to come and help you feel again. I know it. I know it will happen, Flowey. I promise."

He released my hand which flopped uselessly on the ground. A flicker of pain crossed his face before he shook it away. "You really are an idiot."

Everything was hazy. A green heart replaced Flowey in a field of mist. I cupped it in my hand, all pain forgotten. It was warm and I relaxed.

Someone will help him. I just wish I could have done it. My eyelids drooped and I simply drifted away peacefully.

* * *

Flowey stared at the still boy with the SOUL in his hand.

If I take it, then maybe I can be stronger. I could finally get the other SOULs from that stupid King.

A memory flashed by his eyes. A child was laying under the covers of a bed, face pale and covered in cold sweat. They were limp and their breathing was ragged.

Flowey meet the boy's blank gaze. "Stupid boy." He retreated into the soil and disappeared.

* * *

I was drifting weightlessly through complete darkness. Everything was so peaceful. How long have I been here? A hour? A week? A year? I didn't care. I could have stayed here forever without a care in the world. That is, until a vine wrapped around me.

It tightened, driving the air from my lungs. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Was is this? Then an agonizing pain tore through my body. It felt like everything inside me was trying to tear it's way out. I wanted it to stop. I tried to scream, but I couldn't make a sound. I didn't understand what was happening. I thought I was dead, so what is this?

Then I heard it. A madman's laugh filled the darkness. I could place it anywhere. It was Flowey, but that didn't make sense. Why was I hearing Flowey's laugh? The darkness burst into painfully bright, shifting colors. Straining to see through the searing colors, a shape appeared. It was a girl with a ribbon in her hair and wrapped by a vine like me. I saw the rest of them, four more kids all stuck like me. What was going on here?

The colors flickered. I could see glimpses of another child. This one wearing a striped shirt and had a red heart floating in front of them. Before my eyes, I saw that child get skewered on a long, red spear. I wanted to throw up. The heart shattered. A bright, golden light briefly filled my vision. The child was standing again, alive, and dodged the spear. This is madness.

Suddenly, the ribbon girl screamed. A heart appeared in front of her, cutting through the colors with a bright blue glare. Knives began to rain from the sky onto the striped-shirted child. The child couldn't dodge. They were run through by dozens of the blades.

 **Flash**

The child was standing again. The girl's heart was still. Then, she started to scream again, heart blaring. Knives fell onto the child again. They were trying their best, but cuts still started to cover their body.

The girl continued to scream. The heart began to shake rapidly. Faster and faster it moved, the louder she screamed until it was barely human.

The laughter and scream mixed in a melody of madness. I wanted to cover my ears. It hurt to hear, I wanted it to stop. Then, a weak voice broke through the chaos.

"Help."

It was fragile, barely audible, but it sounded like a roar against the laughter. The child, still standing amongst the falling knives, called again. "Please, help me."

I couldn't stand it. I struggled against the vine until I tore my arm free. I stretched out as far as I could, but it was pointless. I couldn't reach anyone. I was stranded, left to watch them die. A shape flickered above my wrist. It took me a moment to recognize the green heart that appeared. Its glow seemed to keep the chaos at bay. The girl screamed again. I reached towards her, wishing that I could help her. The light from my heart stretched through the shifting colors and coiled around her's. The blue heart slowed then became still. She stopped screaming. The knives stopped in midair, transforming into green bandages. The child ran around scooping them out of the air, scratches fading back into solid skin. The girl slumped, exhausted.

The child evaded bizarre obstacles: flies, bombs, claws, lasers, vine and petals. Every time they died they were standing again after a golden flash. Then, a different scream tore through the colors. This time it was a boy with an orange heart wearing gloves and a bandanna. I reached out to them, but the light wouldn't stretch. The fighting child hurriedly dove between giant gloves with an eye design. When they got hit, they were slapped and knocked to the ground. Once again, they called "Help me!"

The light stretched towards the boy. It wrapped around his heart and he relaxed. The gloves turned green and each made a thumbs up sign. Once again, the child touched each one they could before the bizarre attacks began again.

I think I'm starting to get this. When these guys start to scream, a new attacks is thrown at the child. When that child calls for help, I can calm their hearts and make the attack heal the child. Soon enough, a girl with a dark blue heart and a tutu shrieked. The striped-shirted child was trapped by a line of stars as giant ballet shoes tried to crush them. Why aren't they calling for help? Do they have to wait a while before they can? I watched as the child got stomped on by one of giant shoes.

 **Flash**

The tutu girl fell silent. The striped-shirted child was up again, dodging vines and a giant pair of jaws. Soon enough, the girl screamed again and the shoes appeared again. The striped-shirted child was able to avoid being crushed this time. After agonizing minutes, the child called for help. The light soothed the tutu girl and the stars became green music notes as the shoes disappeared.

The child died two more times, far fewer than they were when this started. Is Flowey getting weaker? The realization struck me. He's using us to make himself more powerful! So if I can help them, I can stop Flowey.

A boy wearing glasses screamed, purple heart shaking rapidly. Books surrounded the striped-shirted child as words flew out of them. All of the words had negative meanings, which made me shiver.

"Help, please!"

I stretched the light. It had nearly surrounded the boy's heart when it was pushed back by the purple light. I stretched harder, but the purple heart refused. What is this?

"Please, help me!"

I pushed back harder and harder. Eventually, the green light broke through and surrounded the purple heart. The words turned green and now had positive meanings. I sighed, but caught my breath when I saw the glasses boy crying. Everyone else was in pain, but no one was crying. And these tears didn't seem like they were caused by pain. What's wrong with this boy?

The child made it through another round only dying once. I was preparing to help the last victim when my heart began to shake. It was as if everything inside me was by shaken, crushed and ripped apart all at once. Although, that was hardly a fitting description. I would be more specific, but it was indescribable. All I can say is that it felt like something inside me was being tossed around, but I don't know how to describe the pain. Screaming, I tried to get my heart to stop, but my body wouldn't respond.

The child called for help, but I couldn't do anything. I wanted it to stop. I don't care how. I don't care if it means dying again. Just make it stop! Please!

Then, out of nowhere, it did. Breathing raggedly, vision blurred, I made out my heart. It was surrounded by a multitude of lights. I looked at the others. All of the others I had helped were reaching towards me. The light from their hearts wrapped around mine. I collapsed, or I would have if not for the vine.

I steeled myself to help the last captive when the time came. They were wearing a cowboy hat and had a yellow heart. The child got through another barrage of attacks, but they didn't die this time. I was starting to smile when the screaming started. The cowboy hat wearer screamed like they were trying to throw up their lungs. The child dodged a round of bullets fired from a giant revolver. However, they weren't calling for help. They got hit by a bullet, then another when they tried to get up.

I bit my lip, hoping for them to call for help. Finally…

"I need your help!"

I reached towards the final heart, as did the other four I had helped. The lights surrounded the heart in a glorious mix as it settled to a halt. The final captive leaned over the vine, coughing, but safe. I sighed deeply as I watched the child. They died a few times, I still felt like I was going to throw up, but they persisted. They lashed out at Flowey with an old dagger again and again. The painful colors dimmed and his laughter began to die. With one final scream, the colors began to return to darkness.

 **Flash**

The colors returned with a vengeance, along with the mad laughter. The child was skewered by vines.

 **Flash**

The child was swallowed by a bright laser.

 **Flash**

Again and again, the child died. The flashes and gruesome scenes merging into one continuous blur. It came to screeching halt when petals surrounded the child, closing in on them slowly. I reached towards them. I looked around me to see the others doing it as well. Our hearts began to stir. The petals bounced off the child harmlessly. The hearts zipped through the madness, driving it away with their light. Flowey's laughter turned to shrieks as his power diminished. With one final move, out hearts collided in the space between us captives. They gave off a light so bright it destroyed the maddening colors of the chaos.

In that light, I saw something. A goat monster giving a child a locket. The child smiled and tackled the Monster with a hug. My heart returned to me. I smiled.

So he really wasn't always bad. Maybe he does have a chance. Who knows? Maybe the child in the striped shirt will be the ones to save him.


	4. Purple

I had heard that anyone who climbed Mount Ebott never returned. _Funny, I thought that had a completely different meaning._

I jotted down a few notes in my notebook. It was battered and torn, but held itself together just fine. I righted my glass and continued to write.

"What are doing, kiddo?"

I snapped my notebook shut. Gerson was peering over my shoulder. I spent a lot of time learning about the history of Monsters from him. He was nice, if a little odd. My favorite interests are history and science, and Gerson is better than any textbook.

"Just random thoughts," I said. "Nothing important."

"That's too bad," He stared at me with his good eye. It unnerved me.

"Do you need something?"

Gerson waited a few seconds before answering. "Are you okay?"

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

He seemed sad. "No need to hide it from me." Gerson shook his head. "That look in your eyes, the feeling of your SOUL, your isolation, and the way you withdraw into yourself. I saw it enough during and after the war, and I lost a lot of good friends who acted just like you. I regret not doing anything to help them. Please, just talk to me."

I held his gaze. _He knows. What does it matter? It doesn't concern him._

"I'm fine, Gerson," I smiled. "Perfectly fine."

Gerson wasn't convinced. "Just talk to me, boy. Tell me what happened."

I tilted my head again. "I don't know what you mean. I think you're mixing up signals. Nothing is bothering me."

"Boy, please." His eyes were pleading.

Memories burned behind my eyes: the constant nights of seclusion, screams and breaking plates ringing through the night, the stinging of a broom handle or fist, crying myself to sleep.

"I'm fine," I lied.

Gerson dropped his gaze. "Alright… If that's what you say. If you ever want to talk, my door is always open."

 _I'm sorry, Gerson_. "Thank you, Gerson."

* * *

Later that day…

* * *

"Integrity? I thought human SOULS had Determination."

"They do. But it seems some SOULS have ad different color and characteristics."

Alphys, the Royal Scientist, taught me about SOULS. Gerson had introduced me to her. She is a little awkward, but I like her. Alphys had told me about Determination and answered almost every question I had about SOULS and Monsters. I spent most of the day talking to and helping her.

"I based the categories on certain qualities the humans demonstrated when they were alive. Blue is Integrity, Orange is Courage, and Green is Kindness."

"What about my SOUL?"

"Well…um… I have never seen your SOUL, so I can't say for sure. But I'll look into it."

"Thanks." We were heading into her lab to fix a problem with the fans. Endogeny was following on our heels.

"They look good," I commented.

"Yeah…" Alphys petted Endogeny. "You can say that."

We reached the fan room. Smoke was billowing from some of the rotating blades. Alphys turned off the system and we replaced and reconnected the broken parts.

"There! That should do it." She flipped the switch. The fans spun to life. It was okay for a moment before smoke benched from the switch and some of the fans blew out metal bits and their safety grates. I was surprised and fell down.

"I'm sorry! I'll fix it. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I said absently. I picked myself up off the floor. A fan was spinning fully functional, blades a blur and safety grate gone. I felt myself being pulled in.

 _Just reach out_. A voice in my head whispered. _Let the fan finish it. Put an end to everything, make it disappear._

My hand was inching closer and closer to the blades.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

"What is it, Endogeny? Hey! What are you doing?"

 _Is this finally the end? I've waited for so long…_

"Get away from there!"

 _Just let it slip away. I can finally rest. I can stop the pain._

My hand was just millimeters from the spinning blades.

"Stop it!"

 _Just a little more._

"Stop!"

Alphys tackled me and we collapsed on the floor. Blinking, I quickly got to my feet. Alphys was worriedly staring at me.

"Thanks, Alphys."

"W-what was that? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Why were you-"

"I'll see you later." I hurriedly walked out the door.

"Oh…okay…"

* * *

A few days later…

* * *

"So you can't make an artificial SOUL?" I asked

"No. I think it might have something to do with the characteristics of a SOUL, like Courage or Kindness. You can't make stuff like that."

"Can you make something that can hold and use existing SOULS? Maybe a robot or something?"

"That could work. Hey… um… we need to talk."

"About the SOULS?"

"A-about the fan."

I flinched inwardly. "Nothing happened, Alphys. I just hit my head and was confused."

"You said that, but I can't believe that."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine. If something happens I'll talk to you right away, okay?"

She looked skeptical. "Okay…"

* * *

A couple days later…

* * *

"Just move this here and plug this in instead of this…" I was muttering to myself as I was working on an experiment with the DT Extractor. Alphys told me that this was the machine she used to extract DETERMINATION from the three SOULS. She didn't know what would happen to a living human, so she told to steer clear of it. I was mostly curious about how the machine worked.

I plugged in a wire. The machine started making a whirling sound.

 **DETERMINATION DETECTED. BEGIN EXTRACTION.**

Sparks ran up my arm and then back down. I gasped. Something deep inside me was getting dragged out. I didn't move as more and more was extracted. Everything became hazy and seemed fluid. Like I would just fall through…

Something grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled me back. I landed against the wall with Lemon Bread hovering over me. The machine was powering off.

"Thanks for finding me. I'll take it from here."

Lemon Bread moved away to be replaced with Alphys.

"That was a close one," I said. "Tell Lemon Bread-"

"Why are you doing this?"

I stopped. "Doing what?"

"Don't play dumb. I told you that machine was dangerous, and then that time with the fan. Why?"

"They were just freak accidents," I said.

"They were more than that. Tell me, please." Alphys pleaded.

"There is nothing to tell," I lied.

"Why are you trying to get yourself killed?" She asked desperately.

"I'm not!"

"Stop lying!" The sudden force behind her voice made me freeze. "I know what I saw! Please tell me why."

"I don't k-"

"Please," She begged. "Just talk to me. Your friend."

I paused. Then my body began to shudder and I cried. I slumped against the wall and brought my knees to my chest. Alphys was beside me with her arms around me.

"I-I-I-" I was crying too hard to speak.

"Take your time," Alphys said gently.

"I… I wanted it to stop. The legend said that nobody came back from Mount Ebott. I thought that meant that everything would end. That I wouldn't have to remember the pain and screaming. So I jumped." I coughed, my body wracking. "But it didn't stop. I still remember! I don't want to remember anymore! I don't want to feel it anymore! I don't want to be here anymore! So why am I still here?"

Alphys didn't respond.

"Why am I still here? I just want it to stop."

Why am I telling her? She doesn't understand. She doesn't know.

"Sometimes… I feel the same way." I stopped with a wheeze. Looking at Alphys, I could see tears in her eyes. "Some days, I just want to disappear…"

"Alphys…"

"After everything I did, after all of the pain I caused, it seems everyone would be better off if I was gone. Then I can't make anymore mistakes and can't hurt the people I care about." She was on the verge of crying.

"How…How do you live with it?"

She looked at me, eyes wet with tears, and smiled. "Because I have people I care about, and who care about me. If I disappeared the Amalgamates would have no to look after them." She paused. "I couldn't be that selfish."

I was surprised. "Selfish?"

"Yeah. If I did that, I would only hurt people I love. I've already caused so much pain that I don't want to cause anymore."

We sat in silence for awhile. Lemon Bread watched from a corner. Finally, I said, "Thank you, Alphys. I feel a lot better."

"Is that the truth?"

"Yeah, it is." I was silent again. "Hey, Alphys?"

"What is it?"

"How about... how about we live for each other?"

She didn't respond. After awhile, she said, "Sure. That sounds great."

* * *

A few days later…

* * *

I was sitting by the barrier, lights shifting and pulsing.

 _So, I can't cross through?_ I thought of what life would be like never being able to go back to the Surface. To never go back to the life I had before I fell down here. I smiled. _That's fine. I'd prefer staying down here._

I had just gotten to my feet when I heard a whooshing sound ring through the air. Turning, I saw a flash of red. I stumbled back quickly, barely avoiding losing my head as the trident whipped through the air. A gash started to bleed on the side of my neck. King Asgore was blocking the entrance to the throne room.

"Your Highness!" I said surprised. Alphys had introduced me to him had seemed nice, but he never stuck around long if I was in the room. "What are you-"

"Please don't resist. Just let this be quick." He would not look me in the eye.

"What do you mean? Make what…"

Realization struck me. Human SOULS are needed to break the barrier. I'm a human and Asgore already has three SOULS. Then, I remembered how he got them.

"No…no…no…No No….No… NO!" _Why now? Why couldn't this have happened just a few days ago. I would have accepted this, but now…_

 **"How about we live for each other?"**

"I am sorry, child." Asgore waved his hand and I was engulfed by a blaze. Everything burned. I couldn't breath, and my skin felt like it was melting.

 _Why is this happening now? Should… Should I give up? Isn't this what I wanted?_

 **"If I did that, I would only hurt the people I love."**

 _NO! I won't die here! This time, I want to live! I will live! I'll live for Alphys_! I grabbed my notebook and stood up. Something flowed through me, giving me strength. It gave a will and desire I never knew I could have. I knew exactly what it was. I opened my notebook.

 ***You are filled with PERSEVERANCE!***

 ***You are filled with DETERMINATION!***

I walked out of the flames, my SOUL glowing a bright purple. I leafed through the pages of my notebook. Every doubt, every pang of envy, every flood of anger, and every time I cried was written in these pages. It was apart of me, another crucial limb. I know the power of these emotions and thoughts. I will control them, wield them.

Asgore raised his hand. _Now_!

I remembered the screaming, the loneliness, the pain, the harmful thoughts. I swallowed them in Determination.

The words in the notebook squirmed, grew, and shot off the pages.

 _Terror_

 _Anger_

 _Pain_

 _Hate_

 _Death_

 _Disaster_

 _Misery_

 _Envy_

 _Failure_

 _Nightmare_

 _Lonely_

 _Sorrow_

The words intercepted the fireball. They vanished in a cloud of smoke and embers.

Asgore seemed stunned. _Now's my chance!_

I lifted my arm, not holding the book, and forcefully brought it down. The words zipped through the air, slamming into the King. He was pushed back, grunting with each hit.

I smiled. _This is it! This is where I finally make a stand!_

I raised my hand. More words lifted off the pages. Excess letters floated aimlessly around me. I brought down my arm. The words charged.

Asgore countered with a barrage of fireballs. The words and flames disappeared in puffs of smoke.

I summoned more words. They swarmed around the King. In a blink, Asgore had cut them down with his trident. The severed words fell and shattered into oblivion.

Asgore waved his hand again. I used the words to create a wall against the onslaught. It seemed to hold, until some of the words broke and I was hit by the flames. It burned, but I stayed standing.

 _I won't last much longer. I have to end this now!_

I poured all of my Determination into the notebook. A myriad of words sprang to life, as many as I could call. Breathing heavily, I brought down my arm. The words worked themselves into a storm.

Asgore created a fireball larger than me. Closing his hand into a fist, the ball exploded into over a hundred projectiles. My storm met his fire.

Smoke filled the air from the collision of attacks. Eventually, my words were outnumbered by the fireballs. They rained down on me. Several at once, burning me again and again.

 _I can't keep fighting. He is too strong._

 **"Please. Just talk to me. Your friend."**

 _No! I'm not giving up!_

I stayed on my feet. My notebook had been knocked out of my hand. The left lens of my glasses was cracked. My SOUL was vibrating violently.

More fireballs rained down. I stood against the blaze. I was knocked down, but quickly got to my feet. Over and over, the fireballs lashed out, I did not give up. My body felt like it was falling apart. Every time I fell I got back up.

My SOUL shook harder and hazardously, until it was an indistinguishable blur.

I was knocked down again. My body pleaded for rest, but I refused. Pushing myself up, I screamed to release the anger and emotion I had bottled inside me for so long. My SOUL cracked nearly in two.

Everything inside me collapsed. I felt the Determination seeping out of my damaged body.

 **"How about we live for each other?"**

 **"Please, just talk to me."**

 **"Because I have people I care about, and who care about me"**

I crumpled. My SOUL mended itself, but I was done. I couldn't move, couldn't talk, barely able to breath. I just thought.

 _So this is it? Funny, I was anxious for this to happen, but now I'm just sad._

I was on my back, staring at the glowing ceiling.

 _I guess I couldn't keep my word Alphys, I'm sorry for that. If I could, I would live life to the fullest. Gerson, I should've talked to you. It was a mistake not to._

My eyelids were heavy. I was tired.

 _Alphys, please live for me. I would do it, but I don't have that option anymore. These days down here, especially the last few, were the happiest of my life._

"Goodbye, Alphys."

* * *

Gerson stomped into the throne room. Asgore was sitting on his throne with the boy's notebook in his lap.

"Gerson… What can I-"

"That's enough." Cold fury was laced with the old warrior's words. "I'm not here for small talk."

"… Of course."

Gerson stepped forward. "During the war, I never questioned your decisions. Not once. I respected you and your just ruling. However, those days have passed."

Asgore kept his gaze on the flowers.

"He was a child, Asgore. A child. He had problems of his own and was innocent. No justice came with his death. None at all. What excuse could you have for this?"

The King kept his gaze lowered. "His SOUL was needed to break the barrier," He said softly.

"What rubbish!" Gerson shouted. "You have never complained about life down here! Not until that day! These deaths are not for the Monsters. They are out of your anger and your own desire for the revenge of your children!"

Asgore said nothing.

"Well, guess what! Your vengeance has brought nothing but pain and sadness! This was all a mistake! Your mistake that has taken young lives!"

"…Gerson-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear what else you have to say! I just came for the notebook." He stretched out his hand. Asgore gave him the damaged notebook.

Gerson started to leave, but stopped. "Alphys doesn't need to know how he died. She shouldn't have to bear that pain." With that, he left.

He reached his shop and slowly opened the notebook. After a few minutes, tears were streaming down his face.

"Oh child, I had no idea how much pain you were in. I wish I could have helped you." He took a shaky breath. Gerson leafed through to the last few pages. He read them slowly, then he barely smile. "I'm glad that Alphys could relieve your pain. I hope that you can rest in peace now. Sleep well, boy."

* * *

 _ **Once again, this chapter was beta read by Eccentric Axolotl. Their advice has helped me so much.**_


	5. Yellow

Why is she like this? I've always heard that Monsters were mean and bloodthirsty, but Toriel is the kindest person I have ever known. We just met, but she treats me like her own child. I don't understand.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The girl was sitting up on her bed. She had wrapped her ribbon around the bed post and placed her plastic knife on the floor. When I fell down, she found me wondering around the Ruins and introduced me to Toriel.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

She stared at me, eyes wide and unblinking. It was unsettling.

"I'm confused, okay?"

"Confused? About what?"

I sat up. "Toriel, the Ruins, the Underground! It's so different from what I was told. It's hard to wrap my head around."

She crawled out of bed and sat by me. She smiled softly. "I know how you feel. The Underground wasn't what I expected either. But I've been down here for awhile and I'm glad that that I was wrong. Now I have a wonderful time living with Toriel."

"But why would humans tell a story like that when it isn't true? It doesn't make sense."

"Who cares?" She threw her arms wide. "Humans haven't seen Monsters for so long. No one on the Surface remembers anything about Monsters. Stop worrying."

"…Okay. You're right."

"I know." She got to her feet and back into her bed. "Goodnight." She pulled the cover up to her ears and was asleep in seconds.

"Goodnight."

I still didn't understand. Humans sealed Monsters underground because they were trying to absorb human SOULS. So why hasn't any Monsters down here taken my SOUL or her's?

I sat up again. I held out my hand and my SOUL flickered into existence. It gave off a soft glow. It was bright yellow while the girl's was a light blue.

Toriel showed me how to see my SOUL and what the colors meant during one of the first days I was here. She said that yellow meant Justice. I don't know what to think of that. I can't figure out if it means that I'm a just person or if I should enforce justice or whatever.

With a sigh, I laid back down and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I was walking through utter darkness. I couldn't see anything or where I was going. I just kept walking.

 _ **/Do you know what to do?/**_

I spun around. Nobody was there. I must be imagining things. I kept walking.

 _ **/Don't you see what you have to do?/**_

I stopped in my tracks. I looked in every direction, but I still couldn't see anybody.

 _ **/Don't you want to learn what your SOUL means?/**_

"Who's there?" I yelled. "Who are you?"

 _ **/A friend/**_

The voice was barely audible, hardly a whisper, but I could hear every word clear as day.

"Where are you?"

 _ **/Do you want to learn what Justice is?/**_

I froze.

 _ **/I could help you/**_

I didn't speak.

 _ **/Do you want my help?/**_

…

 _ **/Do you?/**_

…

 _ **/You just have to say yes/**_

"…I…"

 _ **/What do you say?/**_

"…Yes. I want your help.

 _ **/Glad to hear it. What you have to do is-/**_

Rumble! Rumble!

"What did you say?"

The darkness began to shake violently.

"Hey! What did you say?" No response. The whisper was gone.

"Hey! Hey!"

The darkness lurched and I fell. Down, down, down, then something grabbed my hand.

* * *

"Wake up already!"

I shot up. She was standing by my bed, ribbon tied neatly in her hair. "Toriel made breakfast. Hurry up before it gets cold." With that she left.

I sat there, thinking about the voice. I dismissed it as a fantasy and got ready. Soon, I was sitting at the table with Toriel and the girl. I ate very slowly.

"My child," Toriel said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

When we were done, Toriel gathered the dishes and told us to go have fun. The girl took a book from the shelf and began to read by the fireplace. I followed Toriel into the kitchen.

"Toriel…" I started.

"Yes, my child?" She was washing the dishes in the sink. Bubbles were already engulfing the plates.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did the war start?"

She stopped with clatter of silverware. "Why… are you curious about something like that?"

"It's been on my mind for a long time," I admitted.

Toriel was silent for a minute. Then, "It was a time of chaos and confusion on both sides."

"But how did it start?" I persisted.

"I'm sorry, my child, but that is a time I prefer not to remember."

"But-"

"Run along now." She said dismissively. "This is a conversation for a different day." I reluctantly left. Toriel avoided meeting my eye for the rest of the day.

* * *

That night, I tossed and turned in bed before I found myself in the darkness again.

 _ **/You're back/**_

I jumped. The whisper sounded louder this time.

"Please tell me! Tell me what my SOUL means!"

 _ **/Are you sure? You may not like the answer/**_

"I'm positive! Tell me!"

 _ **/If you insist. Do you know about the King of Monsters, Asgore?/**_

"No."

 _ **/Asgore aims to break the Barrier. However, he needs the SOULS of seven humans/**_

"S-seven humans?"

 _ **/He has already gathered four SOULS, all of them from children/**_

I felt like I was going to be sick. Everything I was taught was true.

 _ **/Justice is how you see this and what you do about it/**_

"It's terrible. It's horrifying that he killed those innocent children."

 _ **/Like you, or that girl your living with/**_

The blood drained from my face. It felt like a weight had been slammed down onto my shoulders. "If Asgore…" I started. "If Asgore finds us… he'll kill us."

 _ **/Correct/**_

Memories of the girl flashed before my eyes: her finding me, leading me through the Ruins, introducing me to Toriel, helping me adjust, everything she did was kind and innocent.

 _ **/Follow whatever path you think is right and fix what is wrong. That is Justice/**_

* * *

I awoke with a jolt. She was still sleeping, breathing peacefully. The thought of her being killed... I have to stop this.

I stood up and got dressed. I hovered over the sleeping girl, ribbon still tied loosely in her hair. Her chest rising and falling in a soothing rythme. Nothing like that should have to happen to a girl like this. "I'll keep you safe," I whispered. "I swear on my life, I will protect you. No matter what happens."

Grabbing my old gun and hat I quietly left the room. The house was dark, so it was hard to find my way to the stairs. Once I did, I took every step slowly to avoid making a sound. I reached the bottom and made my way down the hall as quickly as I could. I reached the end, felt around for the doors, made my way down another hall and walked out into the snow. Remembering what Toriel told me about the Underground, I steeled myself and marched on.

I kept myself out of sight and took odd paths to avoid meeting anyone. Eventually, I left the snow and found myself surrounded by water.

I held my gun at my side. It was empty and hadn't been used in several years, but it made it easier to settle my nerves and face dangerous situations like this.

I kept walking, thinking about the girl. I feel bad about leaving without saying goodbye, but I have to do this. I can't let her get hurt. Also, Asgore has to be stopped. Monsters like him, the ones that want to take human SOULS and use their power, Monsters who would kill children for their SOUL, Monsters like him deserve to be trapped by the barrier.

I heard something to my right. On instinct, I lifted the gun and pulled the trigger. To my surprise, the old revolver shot off a yellow bullet that demolished a chunk of rock.

I stared at the revolver. Nothing about it had changed. I checked, but the gun was still empty. Slowly, I aimed it at the wall and pulled the trigger. Another bullet shot from the barrel and slammed into the wall. I searched the spot, but couldn't find a bullet.

Once again I fired the gun. This time, I saw it. Right over my heart, glowing brightly, was my SOUL. I continued to fire. Each time I pulled the trigger, my SOUL pulsed.

 _ **/This is the power of Justice/**_

My hands snapped to my ears. The whisper seemed to be inside my head.

 _ **/This is the power of a human SOUL/**_

"W-what is this?" I asked no one.

 _ **/This is what a human SOUL can really do/**_

"What are you talking about?"

 _ **/This is DETERMINATION/**_

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Determination?"

The voice was silent. I looked at my gun, then my SOUL. I cupped it and lifted it up to eye level. Something was different. I could feel something powerful coursing through it. Is this… DETERMINATION?

I fired the gun rapidly. I was raised with a gun in my hand, but this was different. No recoil, no reloading, seemingly unlimited ammunition and my aim wasn't affected.

I laughed with joy and excitement. This was great! I don't have to worry about running into an enemy without a weapon. My SOUL itself is giving me the strength to follow through with my mission. I'll defeat Asgore and protect her. I swore my life on it.

* * *

I got through Waterfall and had almost reached the end of Hotland. I was almost out when I came across a peculiar sight.

Boxes and construction equipment covered the area. Lighting equipment was half set up around the beginnings of a stage. I had no idea what this was all for.

"Now where are those workers?" A voice rang out. "I can't believe they would make a star like me wait for so long."

I ducked behind a box as the speaker came into view. It was a robot with a rectangular body, arms, a wheel, multiple dials and a flashing grid screen.

"Hm. Now where can they be?"

I decided to move behind the stage and past him, but…

"Oh! Now who do we have here?"

I froze, holding my breath.

"Come on out, darling. I have always wanted to meet a human."

A chill ran down my spine. I gripped the handle of my revolver tightly.

"Don't keep me waiting, darling, It's rude to keep a star in suspense."

I exhaled. I stood up and fired at his voice. The bullet bounced off harmlessly.

"A bullet? Such a wonderful idea for a fight, but nothing like that would leave a scratch on this fabulous body."

He wheeled forward and I stepped back.

"Stay away!" I yelled.

"It speaks!" He said enthusiastically. "Hello, human! I'm proud to introduce you to the Underground's biggest star: me! Mettaton!" He moved closer.

"I said stay back!" I pointlessly let off another shot.

"Now aren't we trigger happy."

"Get back!" I let off three shots. One missed and shattered one of the stage lights.

"Oh my!" Mettaton exclaimed. "I would love nothing more than to chat, but it appears as if that's not an option. I have a job to do. Ehm!" He snapped his fingers. Smaller, flying versions of Mettaton gathered around him. With another snap, they swarmed me.

I fired again and again, destroying every little bot. I fired once more, but what I hit wasn't a bot. The bomb exploded in a cross-shaped light. I was hit, the heat burning my skin. I regained my senses, only to be knocked flat by a flying cube. I tried to get up, but I was struck down by another cube. I got to a kneeling position and opened fire, reducing the cubes to rubble. The attacks paused and I took the time to catch my breath.

"Well, well, well," Mettaton said. "Looks like I have to work on my arsenal. At least I have one more trick up this metal sleeve." Sparks danced on his hand a moment before a bolt of electricity tore through the air and struck me. It was agonizing, as if every part of my body was being charred to ashes. It stopped and I fell to the ground. Mettaton wobbled weakly.

"Goodness, that one is quite the battery drainer."

I had a sudden thought. Slowly, I raised my revolver and shot out his wheel. Mettaton spun wildly. He grabbed onto a box to keep himself up.

I was furious. "It's Monsters like you who deserve to be down here!"

"Come again?"

I got to my knees. "Monsters that would attack any human, even children, to take their SOUL! Monsters like you are only driven by greed and violence. Monsters like you started the war! Monsters like you deserve to burn in h-"

"That is quite enough!" He declared. "How dare say such things about Monsters! For your information, I didn't attack until you did! I may not be hurt by your bullets, but if you had hit any normal Monster down here they would be dead!"

I gripped the handle tightly. I was so mad, but something else was creeping in.

"And another thing!" He continued. "This area is open to the public. Any Monsters could have heard our scuffle and come over here. After one of your bullets went astray, it became too dangerous for anyone who was walking by! And how dare you say it was Monsters that started that awful war!"

"Because it was!" I slammed my fists on the ground. "That's what I was taught! That Monsters tried to take humans SOULS and brought on that war! It was Monsters that got themselves sealed down here!"

Mettaton made a surprised grunting sound. "Darling, that's not true."

"It is true! It's got to be!"

Mettaton waved his hand dismissively. "I'm sorry, but you're wrong."

"About what!?"

"Monsters didn't start the war. Humans did."

A cold feeling was edging it way into my mind, but my anger still burned. "That's not true! It was because Monsters wanted human SOULS!"

"It was because humans feared that Monsters would take their SOULS," Mettaton corrected. "Humans lost their trust in Monsters because of that ability and they raged the war."

My anger fizzled and died, replaced by the cold sensation. "No… no that can't be."

"It is, darling. The humans defeated the Monsters and sealed their victims down here."

I shook my head. "That's not true. It can't be true."

Mettaton's voice was laced with pity. "I'm sorry, darling, but it is."

"No… no… it's not… no…"

I got to my feet and walked on. Mettaton called after me, but his voice was a distant buzz.

It just can't be true. I have to protect her from Asgore.

I walked into a house and made my way down the stairs.

I have to protect her from threats and danger and pain.

I walked down a long corridor.

But who's the threat? Monsters or me?

I walked past a view of a large city with buildings huddled close together.

Are the dangerous ones Monsters? Or is it humans like me?

I passed a wall covered with ivy.

Mettaton didn't threaten me or attack me. I attacked first, without giving him a chance to talk.

I walked into a room filled with golden flowers. A Monster wearing armor and a crown was watering them.

"Yes? Who is there?"

As he turned around, I raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Asgore jerked away in surprise, so the bullet only grazed his armor.

"Child, wait!"

I fired again. Asgore blocked the bullet by pulling out his trident. I opened fire, but he blocked them all.

Asgore started to counterattack. He threw a volley of fireballs at me. I fired, each bullet cancelling out with a fireball.

So it went on. Asgore blocking my bullets, me countering his fireballs. The battle between me and the murderer was in a stalemate.

 _ **/Which of you is really the dangerous one?/**_

Soon it took more than one bullet to take down a fireball, and Asgore had an easier time blocking my attacks. My SOUL became dimmer and the color dulled. Fireballs I couldn't stop began to rain down on me and scorch the flowers at my feet. A sick feeling crawled up my throat and stung my heart. It worked itself up to my head and formed a lump in my stomach.

I couldn't continue. A pathetic spark popped out of the barrel, then nothing. I pulled the trigger of a gun with nothing to shoot.

Fire filled the world around me. All i could see was the flames. I could smell singed clothing and burnt meat, but I couldn't feel a thing. I was as empty as my gun.

He was looming over me. Asgore swung his trident, now glowing orange. It ripped through my side, sending one final, vicious burst of pain through my body. Everything inside me broke. Screaming, I pulled the trigger. My SOUL pulsed. A brilliant flash of light swallowed the room. I turned and ran as fast as I could.

I ran blindly. I ran and ran until I couldn't run anymore. Then I limped, my lungs and body burning, until I collapsed. I landed in shallow water filled with piles of garbage. My hat fell off and floated away. Trembling, I raised myself onto my elbows. I looked at the gun in my hand. With a broken scream, I threw it as far as I could. I started to crawl. I crawled until I came up to a dead end.

I fell back into the water. A flash of color caught my eye. One of the golden flowers had gotten caught on my boot. It came loose and the water carried it off. It got caught on a stone barely an inch away from my face.

I stared at the flower as the water turned red. I stared at the flower until the world started to turn dark. I stared at the flower until they showed up.

A blurry child wearing a green and yellow striped shirt was standing before me.

I weakly raised my head.

Then they spoke. They spoke like the whisper, but powerful and whole.

/ ** _You couldn't protect her. Like all humans you were blinded to a rational choice by rash decisions and your own superiority. Monsters aren't the dangerous ones, it's humans like you. You say you're right, you say your protecting justice, but it's all a lie. You only protect yourselves and your ambitions. You would throw anyone aside if you thought they deserved it. You had a false 'Justice', one where you played God. One where you made the choices and didn't care how others would be hurt. You deserve this you know. To die here amongst garbage, it's a fitting end for you/_**

The child's body wavered and vanished from sight.

My face fell back into the water. I saw the flower again. Everything started to fade, except for the flower. I was back in the darkness with the flower beside me. I could see my SOUL. It pulsed feebly, then faded into the dark. I reached out and pulled the flower to me. I curled my body around it. The last speck of color I had. I will protect it. I'll protect this flower for as long as I can, I swear my life on it.


	6. Cyan- Part 1

**Well, it's finally here. The final SOUL. This chapter was so much longer than I anticipated, so I split it into two. It has been so much fun writing this story, and I hope you enjoy these last two chapters. Now... on with the show!**

* * *

Sitting up, I stared at the hole I had fallen through. The ceiling was dark, but a pulsing light shone near the top. I was sitting in a bed of golden flowers. Slowly, I got to my feet. I walked along a corridor to a large door. I kept making my way until I reached a floor covered in spikes.

I tentatively took a step forward. The spikes retracted into the ground. I took another with the same result. Feeling confident, I did this a few more times. As the spikes sunk again, I heard someone yell "Watch out!"

In my surprise, I stumbled back. The spikes suddenly sprung up twice as tall as they were before returning to their normal size. Disoriented, I looked over to see a humanoid goat in a purple robe hurriedly moving through the the spikes. She didn't wait a second as the spikes retracted. She reached me and kneeled down to inspect me.

"Are you okay?" Her voice was full of concern. "Did the spikes hurt you?"

"No," I replied. "I'm fine."

"Oh, what a relief," She sighed and stood. "Take my hand, child." She reached down and helped me to my feet. Carefully, she lead me through the spikes to the other side. We walked for awhile until she came to a stop. She turned to me with a warm smile. My heart gave a jump.

"My name is Toriel," She told me. "I am the caretaker of the Ruins. What is your name, my child?"

I told her my name. She smiled. A warm feeling spread throughout my body. "Come this way. You seem tired."

She lead me through more puzzles to a small house behind a tree with red leaves covering its branches. Inside, Toriel sat me in a chair around a dinner table. She went into another room as my eyes swept my surroundings. A cozy chair sat next to a fireplace with a warm flame flickering inside. A row of bookshelves rested in one corner. To my left, I could see down a hallway lined with doors past a staircase. The home radiated a snug feeling, making me smile.

Toriel reentered carrying a delectable smelling pie and plates with forks on top. She sat them down in front of me. "Would you care for a piece?" She asked. "It is a chocolate pie."

"Yes! Please!" I said excited, mouth watering.

Toriel cut the pie into equal pieces and placed two on separate plates. I quickly dug in with my fork. The crusted crumpled in my mouth. The chocolate had been poured around a sweet cream filling. It was the best thing I had ever eaten.

"It's delicious!" I said with a full mouth.

"I am so glad," Toriel began to eat her slice. We sat in silence as we ate until only crumbs were left. I pushed my plate away and patted my belly.

"Are you satisfied, my child?"

"Very," I said. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Toriel stood up. " You should get some sleep. Follow me." I got up and she lead me to one of the doors. She opened it to reveal a bedroom with a wardrobe, chest, nightstand, and bed. She pulled back the covers as I got into the bed. She pulled the covers up to my chin and patted my head.

"Sleep well, my child." With that, she left the room.

I laid there, warm and safe in Toriel's home. Smiling, I drifted off to sleep.

Toriel looked after me for several weeks onward. She always found some way to make me smile. She taught me how to bake and read to me at night. Whenever I wanted to move, Toriel would take me on a walk through the Ruins. However, she never showed me where the staircase lead. Whenever I tried to look she would steer me away.

One day, I asked her what was at the bottom. She told me it was off-limits. I kept asking all day. As she was sitting in her chair that evening, she finally sighed.

"Do you really want to know, my child?" I nodded. She slowly got to her feet. I followed her down the stairs and along a long corridor. Finally, we reached a door. Toriel stood with her back to me.

"Past this door is the rest of the Underground," She said with a quiet voice. "If you leave, than you can find your way back to the Surface. You can go home, to your family. However," She turned to me with tears in her eyes. "I ask for you not to return. Those before all left through this door. I never saw them again. It was for the best. I could not handle myself if I saw them again."

She started to walk past me. She paused. Her back was turned again. "You have brightened my life down here, my child. I thank you. I'll miss you so much. Good-" Her voice became choked. "Goodbye, my child." She continued to walk away.

I stood in front of the door, thinking about how I could leave. How I could return to the Surface. How I would never see Toriel again. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I ran to Toriel and tackled her in a hug. She turned and looked at me with surprise.

"I never want to leave," I cried. "I want to stay with you." More tears spattered at our feet. "I promise that I'll stay. I promise that we will be a family."

Toriel was silent. I was scared that she would tell me to leave. Then she began to cry, too. She dropped to her knees and returned my hug. I buried my face in her robe. "My child, I'm so happy. We can be a family. I'll be the best mother that I can. I know we don't have much, but I'll make sure that we'll be happy."

That night, I fell asleep on Toriel's lap in her chair.

* * *

It had been two years since that incident. The happiest years of my life. Toriel taught me about my SOUL. After practicing, she allowed me to explore the Ruins on my own. I could walk through their bind without missing a beat. One day, I was visiting the spot where I fell into the Underground.

The flowers shone in the light. I gently brushed the petals. As I did, I heard a sound. It was growing louder. I looked up to see another child falling from the entrance on the Surface. A blinding light filled the cavern when they hit the Barrier. When I could see again, the child was laying on the bed of flowers.

The child was a girl. She had a pile of rust-colored hair, a denim jacket, cowboy boots, baggy pants, a cowboy hat, and had an old revolver strapped into a holster on her belt. She was tan and her clothes were covered with mud.

Softly, I shook her shoulder. Her eyes flew open. She pushed my hand away and scrambled to her feet, but slipped and fell facedown on the flowers. She tried to get up again, but I grabbed her arm.

"Hold on a second!" I said. "Calm down, cowgirl!"

The girl turned her head, saw me, and froze. She turned her whole body so that she was facing me. Her eyes were the color of honey.

"Are you okay now?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head.

"Can you stand?"

Another nod.

"Take my hand." I helped her to her feet. Slowly, we started moving down the Ruins. She was shaky, but her stride grew steady. As we were crossing a bridge, a Froggit crossed our path. Her hand gripped my arm tightly.

"Croak."

"Good morning."

"Ribbit." The Monster hopped off

"Have a nice day!" I called. I felt a pain in my arm. Cowgirl squeezed my arm so hard that her knuckles turned white. Her breathing was ragged and her knees were buckling. I lowered her to the ground and held her shoulders.

" It's okay. You're all right. Just breathe."

Her breathing started to slow down. She managed to get out a few words. "Was that… Monster… frog…"

"Yes, that was a monster." She grabbed my arm again. "Calm down."

"You… weren't scared?" She asked.

"No," I replied. "The Froggit families are usually really nice."

"But… but… they're Monsters!"

"Yeah, so?" Realization struck. "Oh! You think Monsters are mean?" I almost laughed. "Don't worry. I've been here for years. Everyone in the Ruins is nice to me. You'll be fine."

"…Are you sure?"

"Positive," I chuckled. "Trust me."

After some hesitation, she was leaning on me again. We made some more progress when a thought crossed my mind. "Say, what is your name anyways?"

Right after she told me we heard "My child! Where are you?"

She squeezed again.

"That's Toriel. She is the nicest person you'll ever meet," I reassured her.

She nodded, grip loosening. Toriel came into view as we turned a corner.

"Oh! My child!" She rushed to our side, checking cowgirl for injuries. As she fussed over her, cowgirl gave a weak smile.

* * *

A few weeks later, I was sleeping soundly. I was walking across a plain speckled with the golden flowers. As I walked, I saw a child wearing a green and yellow striped shirt standing in a ring of flowers. They turned to me, their face bright with rosy cheeks and red eyes.

"Hey, there!" They said. "My name is Chara. Who are you?"

At first I thought this was a dream, but this child radiated a feeling too solid to be a fantasy. I told them my name.

"That's a nice name," They said. "Hey! Do you think you could play a game with me for awhile? I've been so bored on my own."

"Sure," I said. "What do you want to play?"

"I'm in the mood for checkers." A checkerboard appeared by our feet, along with gold and white pieces. "I'm warning you, I'm good."

"Consider me warned."

We played for hours. Chara was so energetic. Every time they won, Chara would holler and throw their arms up. When they lost, they would cross their arms and puff out their cheeks.

They were in a fit of joy when the lights started to dim. Chara noticed with a sigh. "Well, looks like time is up. See you tomorrow."

I opened my eyes to see Cowgirl standing over me. I got up, stretched, and put on my slippers.

Cowgirl gave me a curious glance. "What are you smiling about?"

"I just had a nice dream."

* * *

For the next few months, Chara would show up in my dreams. We would play games and talk about out lives. However, they could be vague and skipped around some topics.

Waking up from one of these dreams, I saw cowgirl stirring restlessly in her sleep. Toriel called us for breakfast. I shook the girl's shoulder. I shook harder when she didn't wake up. Cowgirl shot up, her hair in an untidy bundle.

"Toriel made breakfast," I said. "Hurry up." I left her to get ready.

The girl poked at her breakfast, hardly taking a bite.

"My child," Toriel began. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," She said. "I just didn't sleep well last night."

"That's surprising," I said. "You didn't make a sound last night." Even if she was restless this morning, Cowgirl hadn't made a peep.

Toriel cleaned the table when we were done. I grabbed a book from one of the shelves and began to read. Cowgirl followed Toriel into the kitchen. After a few minutes, she left in a huff. Toriel and her barely looked at each other for the rest of the day.

That night, Chara was acting strange.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

They were silent. Slowly, they raised their face towards the sky. "What do you think death is like?"

This threw me for a loop. "Death? Why are you curious?"

"Do you think you go somewhere else? Maybe everything just goes black. Or would you linger until someone noticed you?" A disturbing smile crept over Chara's face.

"Chara?" I was getting worried.

"What if no one sees you? What if you scream and scream, but no one notices? Would you even exist? What would be the point in sticking around? What would happen?"

"Chara?"

They caught themselves. "I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away."

"Chara," I started, voice full of concern, "Do you want to t-"

"I think it's time to go." The colors started to fade. "I'll see you tomorrow." They smiled, a forced smile, as they faded into the shadows.

I tried to go back, but I was lost in a haze. I heard a voice whisper "I swear on my life, I will protect you. No matter what happens."

I woke up sweating and saw that Cowgirl was not in her bed. I assumed she had gone to the bathroom, so I went back to a restless sleep. The next morning, I found Toriel in the middle of a meltdown. Cowgirl had disappeared during the night. Toriel had found the Ruins' exit open, causing her to break down in tears. It felt like my heart would rip itself apart. Our family, our little mix-matched family, is broken. Months of laughing and smiles and warmth shattered. I curled into a ball on the floor. All I could think about was why. The thought ran circles in my mind, leaving permanent grooves in my memory. Why would she leave?

* * *

Weeks passed at an agonizingly slow pace. Toriel spent most of her time sleeping, but she was always tired. Some days she didn't even come out of her room. I spent hours sitting in cowgirl's bed, just staring at her pillow. I had spent days crying, but now I've run out of tears. During one of these episodes, I heard Toriel descend the stairs. I laid my head on the pillow and fell asleep.

The golden hue of the flowers had dimmed since Cowgirl left. Chara had changed, too. They had become interested in death and what happens to people after they die. I tried to figure out why, but they had shut me out. Today was no exception.

"How would you want to die?" They asked.

"I-I don't know," I stuttered.

"Come on," They urged. "Just tell me."

"I don't have any idea, Chara," Screams filled my head.

"Just tell me already," They persisted.

Glimpses of blood dotted my vision. Her screaming for him to stop, stop, stop, stop…

"Tell me!"

"JUST STOP ALREADY!" I shrieked.

Chara was taken back. They froze, then tentatively started to pull the petals off of a dull flower. Several minutes passed, until…

"What happened?"

I met their gaze. Their eyes were soft with concern that I hadn't seen for months. I took a shaky breath and told them my tale:

"I was an only child. My parents were rarely around, but we had fun when they were. One day, we had just gotten home from a carnival. They tucked me into bed and I fell asleep. During the night, I was woken up by my mother screaming. I crept into the living room to see a strange man standing over my parents. My dad was bloody and my mom was holding him, crying. The stranger had a pipe and… and…" My words were lost as I started to cry.

The color drained from Chara's cheeks. "Do you want to stop? You don't have to tell me anymore."

I shook my head. I had been holding this in for so long. After everything that was happening, I felt like I it would swallow me. I need to tell someone before I'm lost.

"Alright," They said. "Just… take your time."

I took a few minutes to gather myself again. Then, I continued.

"My mother pleaded for him to stop. He continued to hit him even… ev-even after…. h-he… w-w-was…"

"You don't have to say it."

I nodded. I waited a few more minutes before going on. "My mother kept screaming. The man shouted at her and started kicking and stomping. She wouldn't stop screaming. The man started swinging the p-pipe a-ag-again…" I couldn't keep going. My tears spilled over after so many months. My body was wracked with my sobs.

Chara pulled me into a hug. I whispered, "I ran away. I hide in alleyways… on the street, until I realize I had nowhere left to go. So, since I couldn't lose anything else, I fell into the Underground."

Chara spoke quietly. "I'm sorry that happened." They paused. They kept their silence even as the dim colors faded away.

I slowly got to my feet, my hair falling around my shoulders. I had lost my ribbon during one of the many dazed walks through the Ruins. I walked out into the hallway to utter silence. I checked the kitchen and bedroom, but Toriel was gone. She must still be downstairs. Toriel had started doing that. Past the first door, down the hall, she would just sit in front of the exit. When Cowgirl left, she took a piece of Toriel heart and, after the other children's departures, it was one of the last.

Down the stairs, past the door, down the hall, and almost to the exit when I heard it. A sound that took me a moment to recognize. Laughter.

I hid in the doorway when I saw Toriel. Her eyes were bloodshot and her dress was filthy, but her laughter rang through the air. A voice came from the other side of the door, sending her into a another fit until tears rolled down her face.

"Okay, okay," she managed to say. "How do you make time fly?" The voice, choked by chuckles, ask how. "Throw a clock out of a window!" The voice's laughter roared, merging with Toriel's into a ring of pure joy.

I made my way back to the house. For the first time in weeks, I felt a warmth build in my chest and spread throughout my body. A mother and daughter, cut off from the world, welcomed a new child into their family. Then it was simply broken. I can't say things will ever be exactly as they were before, but if Toriel could laugh after all of this pain, then I can't give up hope.

* * *

The next day, I woke up without a visit from Chara. A smell filled the house, making my mouth water. My nose lead me to the living room, where plates of pancakes, bacon, and eggs sat steaming in bowls on the table. Toriel entered carrying a pitcher of lemonade. I was shocked at her appearance. It wasn't that she looked strange, quite the opposite. Her robes were clean, fur groomed, and a smile brightened her face.

"My child, I have prepared breakfast," She said warmly. "Please have a seat."

I did just that. It had been so long since I ate Toriel's cooking. I inhaled my food and got seconds and thirds. Toriel chuckled at my enthusiastic appetite.

And so the world started to brighten once again. Warm breakfasts, reading by the fire, baking pies, going on walks; they all came back. Toriel would visit the exit everyday and exchange jokes with the voice for hours. I made sure not to eavesdrop, or at least not get caught, in fear of interrupting.

However, another aspect of my life turned dark. My dreams with Chara had lost their color. The grass wilted, clouds covered the sky, the flowers turned gray. Chara's topics of discussions became even more disturbing. Sometimes, they would just pull the petals off of the frail flowers without making a sound. Then it happened. The night that finally brought my world crashing down.

* * *

 **That is the end of part 1. Part 2 just needs to be edited, so it will uploaded soon. I can't wait to put up the final chapter! So exciting!**

 **P.S. A huge thanks to Eccentric Axolotl. They were beta-reader of this chapter as well. No amount of thanks is enough to show my gratitude for their help.**


	7. Cyan- Part 2

_**The final chapter... begins right now!**_

* * *

I was sitting cross-legged across from Chara in the desolate plain. "If you had a second chance, would you take it?" They asked.

"A second chance at what?" I asked in reply.

"Life," They said. "If you could hit a button and start over, would you take it?"

"I'm not for sure," I said honestly. "How would that happen?"

A smirk ran along their face. "Let me see your SOUL and I'll give you an idea."

"W-what? N-no!"

"Come on! Don't you trust me?"

I looked at their face and saw the child encircled by golden flowers during my first visit. "Okay," I resigned. I held out my hand and my SOUL flickered into existence.

Chara had already reached for it when they said, "Are you ready?" I nodded. They grabbed the heart, sending a revolting sensation squirming through my lungs and crawling its way around inside of me. Chara and the field were lost in a pitch black abyss.

I flailed pointlessly. I was falling with no way of stopping. I heard laughter, the mad laughter of a broken mind. I felt threads tie around my limbs and pin them to my side. I shut my eyes, hoping that it would all stop. There was a brief flash. My eyes snapped open. Right in front of me was my SOUL, bound in the same threads as me. With all of my strength, I struggled to lift my arm and painstakingly grabbed my SOUL.

The scene changed instantly. I was standing in Toriel's bedroom. The motherly Monster was sleeping with her back to me. My limbs weren't trapped anymore. Instead, my arm was raised, my knife pointed straight at Toriel. Suppressing a scream, I ran from the room. I ran from the house into the Ruins. Panting, I slouched to the ground on a terrace overlooking the original HOME. I dropped the toy knife, covering my mouth with my hands.

"Why did you have to ruin it?" I gave a jump. Chara was standing before me, their form thin. I was able to see the wall behind them through their torso. The disturbing smile was on their lips. "I was almost done."

"W-what did you make me do?" I asked breathlessly.

"I was trying to kill her, what else?" They said.

"What!?" I screamed. "Why would you do that?"

They shrugged. "Why not? It seemed fun."

My hands began to shake. "Chara, what are you doing?"

"Me?" They asked sarcastically. "Well, I'm having fun. I can do whatever I want, hurt whomever I want, kill whenever I want. I've been asleep for so long. Now, I'm going to enjoy this." I put my head between my knees, trying to block them out. A hand touched my chin, guiding my head until I was looking Chara in the straight eye, inches apart. "I can do this with your help."

"M-my help?" My voice was weak.

"Yes!" Their smile broadened. "You have so much untapped power. So much Determination. With it, we can start again from the moment you fell into the Underground. We can see how things can be different and act however we want without any repercussions. What do you say, partner?"

I sat in shocked silence, then I gently shook my head.

"What?" Their voice tightened.

"No, I don't want that," I whispered. "I've already lived through all of this and I don't want to change a thing."

Their smile started to falter. "Not even to see that girl again? To keep her alive?"

"No," I said. "I miss her so much, but I won't play God. Things happen, some good and some bad, and you just have to accept them," I steadied my breathing. "I won't help you."

Chara didn't move for over a minute. Their smile turned into a snarl. "Fine, then. I'll do this the hard way!" My SOUL flickered. They grabbed it, causing the sickening sensation to return.

"Stop!" I pushed them away. I got to my feet and ran back into the house and down the stairs. I passed the door, sprinted through the hall and into the snow. I kept running as I felt Chara trying to overtake me. I stumbled past trees as my body began to go numb. I fell against a trunk as my legs became useless. Back pressed against the wood, I sat and watched my breath as the forest disappeared.

I was back on the plain. Storm clouds completely filled the once sunny sky. They grass had died, laying flat and brittle on the ground. The flowers were gray and withered. The petals would crumble to pieces on the slightest breeze. Chara was standing in the middle of it all. The ring of flowers was shredded. Chara gave me a twisted smile.

"Chara-" I started.

"Five," They interrupted. "Not including you or myself, five humans have fallen into the Underground. With each one, I stirred in my sleep. I saw it all: the pain, the tears, the smiles, the laughter, the flames, and so much blood. Each one of them died. And, like you, they each made a promise. Every single one broke with their demise.

Images filled my visions: children falling, a girl with a red-haired Monster, a boy hugging a bipedal bunny, a boy in an apron talking to a spider wearing a dress, a boy with glasses sitting next to a lizard in a lab coat, and Cowgirl hovering over my bed. In a matter of seconds the scenes were burned into my brain: Of how they fell, the promises they made, and how they died.

My breathing became ragged. "You… you did that to her? Why would you make her do that?"

"That was my mistake," Chara admitted. "None of the first four who fell had enough Determination to wake me up. However, the next one did. The problem was that I could not tell which one of you two it was. I had been certain that the girl was the right one, but it turns out that it was you." They spread their arms wide. "If I can get your SOUL, I would have enough power to Reset to the beginning. I could fix my mistakes and do it right this time."

"Do what?" My voice was eclipsed by the thunder booming overhead.

Their arms fell, their smile was once again a snarl. "But you refused. Is it because of your promise? Are you afraid that you might break it? It wouldn't matter." The images of the children making their promises flashed by briefly once again. "Promises are pointless. They are just empty words. They have no power, no reason to enforce them." Chara paused. "But you still reject my offer, don't you?"

I nodded, too shaken to speak.

Chara looked at the cloudy sky. They started laughing, the sound broken and pained. "Fine, then!" Their voice grew hysterical. "Do you know what they did leave me? Their Determination. Whenever they died, I collected what I could and added it to my own. Their SOULS were tied so closely to their items that it left an imprint behind. Let me show you a few tricks I picked up." Lightning ripped across the sky, illuminating the field in a blue light.

"What's happening?" I whimpered.

"Have you ever wondered what this place is?" Chara hissed. "This is the merging point of our Determination. Here, we can have unimaginable powers, but we won't affect the real world. This is where we are at our strongest. Let's get started! To the victor goes the spoils!" The air around Chara wavered. Before my eyes, a tutu and ballet shoes manifested on them. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Chara lifted their foot high above their head. The shoes faintly glowed blue. A sudden force dragged me across the brown grass to them. Chara's foot came down on my head. I collapsed at their feet. I was lifted by the mysterious force and slammed into the ground over and over again. I was thrown and was let to fall this time as Chara spun on their toes. Their foot connected with my chest, with the strength that no human should be able to achieve. The kick sent me skidding across the dead plain until I came to a stop. My chest was hot, feeling as if acid had been poured down my throat. Every breath made me want to scream in pain. Bile rose to the surface. I vomited, except the only thing that came out was red. My blood continued to fight its way out and painted the grass.

Chara started towards me as my vision became blurred. This was it. Even if I could speak, I couldn't reason with them. The cheerful child who I called a friend had been replaced by this terrifying beast. Just end it. I can't fight back. I'll never see the girl again. Toriel would fall back into her depression at my absence, but she had the voice to comfort her this time. My life with Toriel ended the second Chara took over my SOUL, if not before. I was powerless. I closed my eyes, waiting for the final blow.

 _ **"My name is Toriel. I am the caretaker of the Ruins.**_

A feeling like I've never felt before seeped through my veins.

 _ **"Don't worry. I've been here for years. Everyone in the Ruins is nice to me. You'll be fine."**_

It warmed my body, erasing my pain.

 _ **"I'm in the mood for checkers. I'm warning you, I'm good."**_

It gave my body strength I never had before...

 _ **"Say, what is your name anyways?"**_

Giving me the desire to stand, to fight back.

 _ **"My name is Annie."**_

The feeling exploded, escaping from my body in a magnificent golden light. Chara covered their eyes from the sudden brightness. I was standing, any sign of injury or blood was gone.

Chara's shock was quickly replaced by that twisted smile. "Yes! This is your Determination! It's glorious! I have to take it! It will be mine!

In spite of the situation, I gave a faint smile. "Alright. But I'm warning you, I'm good."

A growl escaped from Chara's grin. "Consider me warned."

Chara attacked. They planted one foot and spun, swinging their other foot directly at my head. I brought up my arms and crossed them. Cyan light glowed around the limbs. Chara's foot made contact, sending a shock through my body, but I didn't fall. Chara's foot had been stopped by my arms.

I pushed them away. Chara stumbled trying to keep their footing. I lashed out with my right hand. Chara jumped away, farther than any human should be able. They gave a cocky grin. It quickly vanished when they noticed the blood dripping from the cut on their rosy cheek. A knife, my toy knife, had materialized in my hand after I had blocked the kick.

Chara raised their hand and pulled it back fiercely. I felt my SOUL being pulled again. I was ready. I planted my feet as Chara spun. Ducking, I cut upwards. A large gash appeared on the shoe above my head.

Chara gave an amused scoff. They began to spin, switching from foot to foot, until they became a blur. I dodged and slashed away at the flurry of kicks. Bruises appeared on my arms and torso. With one last cut, a ballet shoe sailed through the air in tatters.

Chara came to a halt. The sky crackled with orange lightning. With a chuckle, the torn tutu and remaining ballet shoes faded away to be replaced by a bandanna and gloves.

I stabbed at their heart, but they dodged easily. Glowing orange, a gloved hand connected with my arm. With a disgusting snap, my forearm nearly folded in half. My knife fell from my grasp as I retreated. The skin had broken, and startling white piece of bone was sticking out. I became panicked thinking about how this injury would end me. Cyan light with streaks of gold encased my arm. My skin mended as the bone slipped back inside. In seconds, my arm was fully healed.

Chara gave a short laugh. "At least you're making this fun."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

With a chuckle, Chara's fist was aimed at my stomach. I backed away, feeling the glove graze my shirt. I ran past Chara and dove for my knife. A fist swung down at me. I quickly rolled away and jumped to my feet. The impact left a crater about the size of a basketball in the ground.

Chara raised a hand, palm towards the sky. An orange glove grew from their's and became twenty times the size. With a gulp, I began to run. The giant glove flew after me. I jumped to the side as it barreled past me, wind whipping my hair across my face.

The glove made a sharp turn and came straight at me. I inhaled deeply. My knife started to glow cyan. With a scream, I pounced and slashed at the glove. The attacks met with a moment of resistance. My knife glowed brighter, cutting through the glove cleanly. The severed fingers and part of the palm disintegrated instantly. The rest hung in the air a moment before they fell apart in a cascade of sparks.

I had a second to gather myself before Chara was behind me. They throw a punch at my head. I twisted and pivoted on my feet. My knife sliced though the material and across their left palm. Drops of blood fell to the grass.

With a grunt, they leapt away. Lightning flashed purple against the gray clouds. The items disappeared as a battered leather notebook rippled into their left hand and a pair of large, round glass appeared on the bridge of their nose.

With a flutter of paper, words began to spring from the page, all of them with negative meanings. With a flick of their wrist, the animated words swarmed me.

I cut down as many as I could before I was overwhelmed by the sheer number. Pushing against the words, I broke through and lunged at Chara. Lightning briefly illuminated the plain in a green light. My strike was blocked by… a frying pan? I rapidly slashed at Chara again as a green wall sprang up between us. My attacks bounced off harmlessly.

The words crashed into me. I was dragged across the ground as they weighed me down. Shreds of grass and flowers and clumps of dirt were thrown wild as I left a gorge in the plain. I saw a glimpse of Chara holding the notebook in their left hand and a frying pan in the other. An apron had been draped around their shoulders.

The words lifted me high off the ground and let me fall. As I fell, dozens of them struck and launched me again. They repeated this process several times. I gritted my teeth. I spun in mid-air as the words charged me.

A stray one, nightmare, zipped past. I grabbed it and was carried through the sky. It bucked and swerved while trying to throw me off. I kept a close eye on Chara and their shield. Nightmare fought hard, my grip was slipping. Just a little more. My free hand was struggling to hold on to the _e_. Just as my fingers started to fail, my opportunity came. I let go, free falling towards Chara's shield. I positioned my self so that I was falling feet first. The glow around my knife intensified. My feet slammed onto the green light. In that second, I gripped my knife with both hands and plunged it into the shield. Cracks spread along the dome until it finally shattered with a blast of air that flung me away.

I dug my feet into the ground as I land and charged, knife at the ready. I stabbed. Chara brought up the frying pan, glowing with green light as bright as my knife, to intercept. The weapons collided, neither one giving under the other. The lights brightened, becoming indistinguishable from one another. The feeling inside grew, causing my light to grow as well. For the slightest moment, I saw the frying pan crack. In a blast of green, Chara and I were blown apart.

I landed on my side and twisted back onto my feet. Chara was also standing again. However, they were holding only the handle of the frying pan. The rest laid in pieces scattered across the plain.

Chara was laughing as they panted. "Well! Things are getting really interesting!"

I had something I wanted to say. This was as good a time as any. "You're wrong."

"Oh? About what?"

"About promises," I panted. "They're stronger than you think."

They laughed harder at me outright. "Oh, please! I've seen it time and time again! People swearing they'll do one thing, but just turn around and do another. They're so easy to break. What's the point of making them? No one listens. No one keeps their word."

"You're right," I said. "They are easy to break. But that doesn't mean they're powerless."

"Now you're just babbling."

"It doesn't matter if they break," I said with resolve. "Only why you break them. Not their flimsy creation, but the reason why it was made."

Chara sighed. "You put a lot of faith in promises. However, if it wasn't for a promise I wouldn't have this." Yellow lighting brightened the sky as the air curled around their right hand until they were holding Annie's gun. "Remember this? If your friend hadn't been so foolhardy they would be alive right now! Do you really want to put so much stock in promises?"

"I do. I will."

"Fine, then." Chara's face hardened. "Let's see if you change your mind before you die!" Chara aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. I dodged to the right only to be tackled by more words. I hacked away as bullets tore through the air. My knife moved in a blur, barely deflecting the golden shots.

Words coiled in the air above Chara. A yellow light emanated from the gun's barrel.

I held my head high. "All of those promises Annie and the others made were not pointless."

Chara rolled their eyes. "This again. This topic is getting on my nerves."

The feeling, my Determination, flowed stronger through my SOUL. The memories of the children's promises pounded against my skull. For a moment, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds. With it came voices:

* * *

 _ **"Can you do something for me?"**_

 _ **"Of course."**_

 _ **"Watch over Undyne."**_

 _ **"I will. I promise."**_

* * *

Chara was startled. "How are you doing that?"

"The first girl made a promise on her deathbed to help her friend and assure their future."

"What? You're still spouting that nonsense?" Words flew at me, which were quickly cut to ribbons.

More rays of light broke through, with them came more voices.

* * *

 _ **"Promise to come back to me, okay?"**_

 _ **"I promise."**_

* * *

"He made a promise he knew that was impossible to keep, but he did it to lighten the pain and burden his loved one was facing!"

"Stop it!" Chara growled. More words charged. I shredded them as a bullet ripped cross my shoulder. I ran at Chara as another voice rang out:

* * *

 _ **"I hope things turn out better for you, Flowey. Someone is going to come and help you feel again. I know it. I know it will happen, Flowey. I promise."**_

* * *

Chara swiftly dodged my slashes.

"All he did was be kind to that flower. He was trying to give someone hope when they had given up!"

I was too close for Chara to use the words without being swept away themselves. They couldn't properly aim the gun with this short of range, but bullets still found my calf, arm and hip.

* * *

 _ **"Hey, Alphys?"**_

 _ **"What is it?"**_

 _ **"How about… How about we live for each other?"**_

 _ **"…Sure…That sounds great."**_

* * *

Chara stumbled. My knife tore through the air. Paper flew in a cloud around us. My knife had found the notebook, cutting off the back cover and most of the pages to pieces. The floating words, stray paper, and notebook crumpled to ashes.

"He had given up. He tried to end his life until someone saw his pain and helped him, supported him. They made this vow so each of their lives could have meaning again."

Chara switched the gun to their left hand. They let off a barrage of shots. I blocked all I could, but grazes covered my frame and a couple plowed into my side and left shoulder.

I ground my teeth together. My knife was swallowed by the cyan light.

* * *

 _ **"I'll keep you safe. I swear on my life, I will protect you. No matter what happens."**_

* * *

Chara raised the gun, but my knife was faster. Part of the barrel was cleaved off. Chara quickly caught the piece.

"Annie…" I faltered. "And Annie was doing what she thought was right so that she could protect me!"

"Shut up already!" Their anger soon melted back into that creepy smile. "All of that talk, but you are forgetting one thing. You broke your promise to Toriel! What do you have to say about that?"

Chara threw the gun and broken barrel into the air. It glowed yellow and shattered into pieces. More and more pieces scattered across the sky, until there were hundreds. Chara's smile widened. "If you survive, I would like an answer!" Chara clenched their fist and brought it down forcefully. The pieces streaked across the sky, all racing towards me.

I stumbled back. The Determination sent a shock through my SOUL. A cyan light with gold streaks poured from my SOUL around me. Pieces slammed into the light. Whenever they made contact, the piece and part of the light would disappear in a flash. However, the light quickly diminished. I tried to hold it together, but I was soon being pelted by the miniature bullets.

It was soon over, but my body felt like it was on fire. The bullets dug under my skin, smoke billowing from the wounds. Just moving my arm caused a wave of pain to crash over me.

The light started to repair the damage, but the process was slow. The injuries were too widespread for a quick heal

"Your answer?" Chara asked.

My breathing was heavy and painful. "I did break my promise. I will always regret that. It will eat me up every second I'm alive. But I had to do it to protect her. I couldn't trust myself with you around."

"Interesting," Chara said. The air rippled again as the plain was painted red by lightning. A knife, a real knife, appeared in their left hand. "After letting out all of that hot air, do you still believe in promises so much?"

"I do," I said with as much force as I could. "In fact, I have one last promise to make."

"Really?" Chara was intrigued. "What might that be?"

"It's a promise to you."

"Oh? Go on."

"I promise that no matter how hopeless it seems, how hard it may be, how much it hurts, I will never let you have my SOUL!"

Chara chuckled. "Now this is fun! Let's see if that holds up!"

Chara lunged. Their knife moved through the air like lightning. I managed to block the strike, but the tip nicked my cheek. Our blades parted and collided like a dance. Whenever one of us broke through (Chara slicing my right tricep, above my wrist, my forehead, etc.) our knives connected once again. I was thrown backwards and fell on my back.

Chara fell on me. I blocked their knife and drove my feet into their stomach. I used Chara's momentum and flipped them over my head.

I had just gotten to my feet when Chara jumped up and lashed out, leaving a deep cut on my left arm. They drove the blade deep into my side above my left hip. They pulled it up and out, widening the injury.

Chara lunged again. I wouldn't be fast enough to stop the knife. In that moment, I thought I was done. Then, the sky cleared completely as a new voice rang out:

* * *

 _ **"I'd never doubt you, Chara… Never! Y…yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone. I'll go get the flowers."**_

* * *

Chara faltered long enough for me to block the knife. We were both exhausted. We were both putting all of our strength into pushing against each other, trying to overpower the other.

My legs started to give. Chara started to push me back. My SOUL shone brightly between us. With a final strained scream, I pushed back. My SOUL blasted Chara with the cyan and gold light. It was filled with every ounce of my Determination.

Chara was launched several feet off the ground. As they fell, their features became gray. Chara's body started falling apart as dust. First their arms were carried off, then their torso disintegrated as well. Their legs went next. The last to go was their head, and I watched that terrifying smile complete crumple to dust. They were gone before they hit the grass.

My strength was gone. My legs gave out and I fell back against a trunk. I dropped to the ground as the dead plain was replaced by a forest covered with snow. My heavy breath was visible in the cold. My knife was gone, leaving my hand weak and empty.

A form wavered before me, sitting crossed-legged with a neutral face. Chara was hard to distinguish, as if you a soft breeze would will cause them to break.

"I lost," A smile played on their lips. "Who would've guessed?" Their form began to fade. "It doesn't matter. Eventually, I'll take over. It may take awhile, but I will break you."

"No, you won't," I said. "I promised that I wouldn't let that happen."

"Really?" They chuckled. "And do you expect to back up that promise?"

Weakly, I smiled. "I'll just sit here."

They were puzzled for a moment, until my meaning dawned on them. "You plan to sit there… until you die."

I nodded.

Chara didn't respond for several minutes. Then, their laughter, so broken and pained, rang through the still forest. "Determined to die, huh? Does that take guts? Stupidity? Patience? I don't know. But it doesn't matter. One day, another human will fall. I'll come back through them."

I kept my smile. "Then I just have to hope that they fight you off like I did."

Their smile faltered. "All those months just for it to end like this. Such a waste." They raised their hand and waved slowly. "Well, I guess all I have left to say is goodbye. See ya later, until next time." Chara's body dissolved into mist and faded into the snow.

So I sat and watched the snowfall. My thoughts relived every moment since I fell into the Underground. The minutes stretched into hours and into days. I hadn't moved an inch.

I thought about how I had let Toriel down. How much pain I caused her by leaving. How much I prayed that the voice will soothe her once again. Then I thought about Annie. How I missed her so much. That I might be able to see her again.

My stomach had given up on trying to get me to eat and simply lashed out at itself. My throat was dry and I had started to cough up drops of blood. Snow had piled up on my head, legs, and shoulders. My skin had turned blue from the cold. Now it was turning a deep, ugly purple. I had lost feeling in my body long ago.

My final thought was of Toriel's warm smile and Annie's cheeky grin. With one final breath, I was free.

* * *

i was walking down the familiar trail. i was wearing a blue jacket, the only reasonable part of my outfit since the only other things I was wearing were shorts and fuzzy slippers. being a skeleton, however, i didn't mind

i reached the door i had seen every day for several weeks. with a chuckle, i knocked. i waited, but no reply came. i knocked again. Nothing. worried, i called "hey! are you there?"

silence. i started to turn away when, "I am here."

"oh, good," i said relieved. "what took you so long?"

"I was… just…tired," her voice answered, heavy with grief.

i shrugged it off and continued. "alright, i've got a good one! so, yesterday i swallowed a bottle of food coloring. the doctor says i'm fine, but I feel like i've dyed a little inside."

there was a pause. she gave a weak laugh, which quickly broke down into sobs. startled, I asked her what was wrong. when she was able to respond, she said,

"If a human ever comes through this door… could you please, please promise something. Watch over them, and protect them, will you not?"

i thought about this for second. promises were so much work, and people get mad when you break them. however, over these past weeks, i realized how attached i had become to her. listening to her cry was too much, so i said,

"i promise."

* * *

 _ **So, that's it. End of the line. Honestly, I feel really weird about finishing this. I have tried to write stories so many times, but I always got lazy and never finished, or put them on some big delay. To finish this, it makes me so happy.**_

 _ **To Eccentric Axolotl, who beta-read every single one of these chapters. Their input and opinions helped me improve so much. Thank you for everything you have done for me.**_

 _ **To the readers, I know this story isn't popular, but I noticed those who stuck by my all this time, even though I started publishing this back in March. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoyed.**_

 _ **Well, I've been blabbering for awhile now. Sorry for that, but I'm almost done. Three things left:**_

 _ **I hope reading Memory of the SOUL was worth your time,**_

 _ **Expect more from me in the future, and**_

 _ **Stay Determined!**_

 _ **Edit: Um... ignore that first line. I posted a new fanfic that continues off of this one. If your interested, check my page. It is called Memories and Control. Spoke a little too soon. Oh well.**_

 _ **-End**_


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